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It's Final: Friendship TrailBridge Is Closed

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TBO.com

Published: December 23, 2008

This appears to be the end of the road for the Friendship TrailBridge.

Officials with Hillsborough and Pinellas counties decided Monday to permanently close the bridge, a popular destination for joggers, bicyclists and fishing enthusiasts.

The decision was made Monday afternoon and took effect immediately.

The decision to close the 2.6-mile span and its catwalks is based on a final engineering report from an independent company that warns of a potential collapse of any portion of the 52-year-old bridge, Pinellas County public works director Peter Yauch and Hillsborough County public works manager Steve Valdez announced in a written statement.

According to the engineering report, widespread corrosion, loss of concrete sections and broken steel reinforcement bars would be too expensive to repair.

Officials say it would cost $4.1 million to repair the spans on the Hillsborough and Pinellas ends of the bridge; $30 million to repair the entire bridge; $12 million to demolish the bridge section only; and $81.8 million to demolish the old bridge and build a replacement.

The bridge was partially closed last month when inspectors found some of the structure's concrete beams had disintegrated and fallen into Tampa Bay. The bridge was once a span of the Gandy Bridge.

A half-million bicyclists, in-line skaters, joggers and walkers and fishermen have used the bridge each year.

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