Overland Bridge project right on schedule one year into construction

Posted on January 7, 2014 By Editor Articles, Neighborhood News, Top Stories

On Jan. 14, the Overland Bridge project will mark its first anniversary since Archer Western Construction (AWC) began what will be a three-and-a-half year project, according to Michael Goldman, public information officer for Florida Department of Transportation.

“It’s about 27 percent complete [as of mid-December],” said Goldman. “We are looking for completion summer 2016.”

Construction progress on the Overland Bridge project to date includes a variety of items from utilities to parking lots to lane shifts and more, according to Tami Keller, Contract Support Specialist with Eisman & Russo, Inc.

Many utilities have been relocated to avoid conflict with proposed bridge foundations. A portion of these utility relocations included overhead lines that were in conflict with the proposed bridge structures and needed to be removed as a result. The newly constructed parking lot between San Marco Boulevard and Palm Avenue, near Baptist Hospital, is now open for use.
Temporary traffic shifts have occurred throughout the project which includes, but is not limited to, I-95 Northbound and Southbound shifted towards the inside median barrier wall creating construction work zones for bridge demolition and construction of the new Northbound Collector-Distributor Road (service roads) and widening of the Southbound Collector-Distributor Road. Pile driving operations have commenced on both structures. Construction of permanent vertical wall has begun along Southampton Road along with drainage installation along Vine Street. Tree, shrub and building removal is now complete for four of the five retention ponds proposed on this project, Keller stated.

Upcoming construction includes construction of the proposed sound wall, anticipated to begin after the New Year. In the meantime, construction on the Northbound and Southbound Collector-Distributor Roads will continue on both substructure and superstructure components. Work is anticipated to begin for the southbound widening of the Fuller Warren Bridge near San Marco Boulevard off-ramp. Construction of the permanent vertical wall along Southampton Road will continue and construction of the vertical wall between Hendricks Avenue and San Marco Boulevard will commence. Utility relocations will commence along Atlantic Boulevard and Philips Highway in preparation for construction. Work will continue to progress on the southbound Atlantic Boulevard exit ramp.

Also, AWC began demolition work for the outside Southbound Fuller Warren from the San Marco off-ramp up to the FEC rail bridge late last year. Traffic shifts along Southbound I-95 towards the inside median were put in place as well as the shifts along Gary Street coming of the I-95 Southbound off-ramp.

John J. Kemp, senior project engineer with Eisman & Russo, said that the FEC rail bridge near Larue Avenue will be completely replaced but it will be in phases as the contractor is doing along the Northbound and Southbound I-95 mainline.

“This is where traffic is shifted inside towards the median to build the outside bridge structure and roadway and then traffic is shifted to the outside on the newly built structure and roadway while the existing inside structure is demolished and rebuilt,” Kemp said. “The demolition and rebuilding of the FEC rail bridge will take about 24 months to complete due to the phased construction.”