Construction Begins in Fla. on First-of-its-Kind Bridge Project in U.S.

Equipment World

By Don McLoud

Feb 9, 2024

The contractor and designer for a new bridge being constructed in Florida expect it to be a showpiece design, accommodating a sensitive yet harsh environment while also marking a first in the U.S. for a corrosion-resistant post-tensioning method.

The John T. Brooks Bridge between Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island was built in 1965 and handled about 1,500 vehicles a day in its early days. Today, traffic has increased to 66,000 vehicles daily on the four-lane U.S. 98 span over the Santa Rosa Sound and Intracoastal Waterway. It’s also too low to accommodate larger boats, and there have been strikes. In 2013, a barge hit the bridge, which also carries utilities to Okaloosa, knocking out water service to the island.

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