FDOT Begins $89M Pensacola Bay Bridge Repair Program

PENSACOLA — The Florida Department of Transportation has launched an $89 million maintenance and repair program for the Pensacola Bay Bridge, two years after the 3-mile span’s $398 million replacement was completed in 2021 following Hurricane Sally damage.

FDOT District 3 officials said the repair program addresses concrete spalling, expansion joint deterioration, and electrical systems upgrades across both spans of the parallel bridge structure, which carries U.S. Highway 98 between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze.

Contractor Hubbard Construction Company of Orlando began mobilization last week and expects to complete all work by December 2027. The contract covers both the main 26-span high-level bridge and the lower-profile western approach spans.

“These are routine but essential maintenance items for a bridge of this age and complexity,” said FDOT District 3 Operations Engineer Sandra Thibodeau. “We’re addressing them proactively before they become larger structural issues.”

Traffic will be maintained in both directions throughout the repair program, with work crews limited to nighttime shifts for activities requiring lane closures. FDOT said no full closures of the bridge are anticipated.

The Pensacola Bay Bridge is the only fixed crossing between Escambia County and Santa Rosa County along this corridor, handling an average of 55,000 vehicles daily.

Santa Rosa County Commissioner Bob Cole said the maintenance work has been on the county’s radar since the replacement bridge opened. “We fought hard to get the replacement bridge built. Now we need to make sure we take care of it,” Cole said.

Author: James Rivera

Infrastructure Reporter. Covers FDOT contracts, highway expansion, and transit projects across Florida. Former civil engineer with 12 years in highway design before transitioning to construction journalism.