The only remaining wooden bridge in the county is coming down in 2021
St Lucie, Fl (treasurecoast.com)- County Commissioners Tuesday agreed to replace the 33-year-old Gordy Road Bridge, that spans Ten Mile Creek just west of Florida’s Turnpike in Fort Pierce.
The $2.4 million project will be funded by the half-percent countywide sales tax voters approved last year.
The Florida Department of Transportation deemed St. Lucie County’s last wooden bridge structurally deficient in 2017, following damage from Hurricane Irma and other natural breakdowns typical of timber bridges.
The bridge has had issues with water overflowing onto the deck from the creek during heavy rainfalls, and has not been able to carry heavy loads, resulting in weight restrictions being implemented, according to county Assistant Public Works Director Patrick Dayan.
County officials expect construction to begin in early March, replacing the wooden bridge with a concrete one.
The new single-lane bridge, which will take about a year to complete, will be two feet higher than the existing bridge to prevent water from overflowing onto the deck, Dayan said.
The new bridge, expected to last 100 years, also will have a sidewalk for pedestrians and bicyclists, and weight restrictions will be removed.
Because Gordy Road Bridge is a dead-end-road, contractors must build a temporary bridge to maintain access.
The construction timeframe for the temporary bridge has not been determined.
Since the temporary bridge will be pre-designed and delivered, Dayan said, it should be fairly easy and quick to install.
