Weekly GIBA update

BY JIM COOPER- 

New Center & South Bridge Construction:

Progress Update: April 4

Prime Contractor: Orion Marine Construction, Tampa

Start date on both bridges: March 12

Finish dates: South Bridge - March, 2013; Center Bridge, December, 2013

South bridge: • ACROW Detour Bridge Pilings: All in water installed;

• 60-foot by 24-foot wide steel deck sections (six total) begin to be installed by crane. The first three sections have been installed this week, with all six completed in about two weeks;

• Third 150-feet long by 45-feet wide Orion barge arrives tomorrow with a small 100-ton walking crane.

NOTE: A temporary one-lane traffic with flagmen “work zone” will occur this Friday for about one hour from 9 to 10 a.m. on Cole Island only for the Orion crews to drive the walking crane from the Barge Landing point at the north end of Cole Island to the south end of Cole Island by the ACROW detour bridge site. This crane is needed to install the upland ACROW detour bridge pilings next week. Fire and emergency services have been notified.

• ACROW Detour Steel 2-lane Deck Bridge will be completed sometime in late May 2012.

NOTE: The ACROW detour bridge has the same “weight limits” as the swing bridge.

Center bridge: Another new Orion barge crew with a second 300-ton crane will arrives in about two weeks to begin working on installing test pilings for the new replacement center bridge.

Utility work: GIBA is most appreciative of the very positive, proactive, professional work by all four of the utility firms: GIWA, FPL, Comcast and Century Link, for their team efforts to work together in a timely manner and to successfully relocate their lines in very narrow areas without stepping on each other and to still not slow down Orion’s bridge work.

NOTE:The permanent relocation of these four utilities serving the island is essential right now in order to allow the Orion Crews to stay on schedule for their number one priority, which is the rapid installation of the temporary ACROW detour south bridge. Once the detour south bridge is operational and carrying traffic (hopefully by the end of May, 2012), the demolition of the old South Bridge (June, 2012) can begin to allow the construction of the nine-foot higher elevation new permanent GIBA “replacement” south bridge. By May, 2012 the full work should also begin with three barges in place all dedicated to the install of the 16-foot higher elevation new permanent GIBA “replacement” center bridge.

Public opinion surveys were sent out last week, and are due on April 15.

Keep in mind, no information will be tracked. The numbering system on the surveys was placed there to avoid duplication of surveys, not to track residents’ opinions.