TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Boaters Will Be Warned Not To Cross Under Friendship Bridge

Tribune Photo by JAY NOLAN

Officials plan warn boaters not to cross under the Friendship Trail Bridge because of its dilapidated conditions and dangers of falling concrete.

ADVERTISEMENT

By RICH SHOPES | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 18, 2009

TAMPA - Thousands of boaters might have to settle for fewer fishing spots after Hillsborough County Public Works officials issue a stern warning against boaters going under the dilapidated Friendship TrailBridge.

The nearly three-mile span that runs alongside the Gandy Bridge between Pinellas and Hillsborough counties was declared off-limits to bikers and joggers in November after engineers deemed it unsafe and said it could collapse after years of saltwater intrusion.

Now comes word boaters might be in danger from falling chunks of concrete.

The county is having signs printed up to warn against traveling under the 56-year-old bridge, which separates the lower and upper portions of Tampa Bay. Hundreds of boaters cross under the span daily.

"Everybody who wants to go under that bridge will know there's a risk factor," Public Works spokesman Steve Valdez said Wednesday. "Obviously we can't stop everybody but they will know there is a risk."

The signs will be affixed to the bridge's concrete pillars and say something like, "Warning, "Falling Debris," or "Danger," said Valdez.

Maritime laws guaranteeing access to the Gulf of Mexico prevent the county from blocking access altogether. That leaves officials trying to convince boaters to stop going under the bridge until either it's repaired or demolished.

"We have to assume this is subject to potential collapse," Valdez said.

The first of the 69 signs will be posted in two weeks, he said. Pinellas will install 23 signs – fewer than Hillsborough because most of the bridge, including the hump, is within Hillsborough waters.

"It's sure going to inconvenience a lot of people," said John Hare of Tampa, 71, who was maneuvering his 20-foot Ranger toward the ramp on the Gandy Bridge's north side. "I'll abide by it."

But he figures many others won't observe the warning, at least after considering the alternative. "There aren't any other ways around. They'll circle around a while and think about it, and then they'll go under.

"They'll go slow but they'll go under," he said.

The warnings couldn't come at worse time for Jim Finnegan, general manager of the new Hula Bay Club on Tyson Avenue in South Tampa. The club is scheduled to open 3 p.m. Friday after two months of renovations. It can accommodate about a dozen boats.

"Anytime there's a risk of somebody getting hurt we are concerned, but people are going to do what they want to do," he said. "Some people will take that risk."

The decision comes as the county is examining its options.

Razing the span would cost about $11 million. Many in South Tampa, including the Friendship Trail Corp. citizens group, want it rebuilt or partially rebuilt with the middle portion of the 2.6-mile span demolished.

Fixing the entire bridge could run as much as $35 million and would add only 10 years to the bridge's lifespan, Valdez said.

The county is studying a partial demolition.

It's checking the extent of corrosion in the columns and beams to determine how much of the bridge, if any, can be saved. Saving some of the bridge allow some access to joggers and bikers. Pinellas would decide what do at its end.

"Our position is we'll participate and be supportive of whatever is possible," said Frank Miller, executive director of Friendship Trail Corp., which lobbied and raised donations to have the bridge converted to recreational use in 1999.

A report on the damage is due in late March. Valdez said a routine inspection last fall showed saltwater had penetrated the concrete and rusted the metal supports. If left alone, the bridge will eventually collapse because the metal connections between the beams and columns have weakened.

It could be years, however, before any action by Pinellas and Hillsborough counties is taken because of costs.

Demolishing and building a new bridge could run as high as $82 million. Razing some of the bridge and leaving the ends exposed would run about $5 million.

Reporter Rich Shopes can be reached at (813) 259-7633.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT