362.82 miles of Interstate serving the Panhandle and northeastern Florida. Interstate 10 serves the cities of Pensacola, Tallahassee, Lake City, and Jacksonville, before terminating at Interstate 95.
The guide to Interstate 10 is divided into five separate pages:
Hurricane Ivan made landfall between Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores, Alabama in southern Baldwin County on early Wednesday morning September 15, 2004. The category 4 storm weakened to 130 mph winds from 135 just before making landfall on the Gulf Coast. The storm was traveling north northeast at the time of landfall thus putting the northeast quadrant of the hurricane and eye wall across both Baldwin and Escambia Counties. The land falling storm caused extensive damage to not only property, but roads, the environment, and countless lives.
The bridges suffered tremendous damage due to the storm surge from Hurricane Ivan. Both spans were closed after the land falling hurricane. The westbound span reopened for traffic at 6:30 AM on Tuesday October 5, 2004. The storm surge of Hurricane Ivan pushed 58 spans off the eastbound and westbound spans and knocked an additional 66 segments out of alignment.1 The westbound span reopening provided Interstate 10 with one lane per direction. On November 27, 2004 the eastbound span reopened to carry one lane. The structural integrity of both spans remained in question and therefore high load bearing vehicles and permit loads were restricted from the bridge.
A look at the bridge repairs of Interstate 10 over the Escambia Bay. The westbound span, already reopened, carried one lane of traffic for both directions of Interstate 10. Work on the eastbound span progressed in two portions both east and west of the crest. Photos taken by Alan Nitzman (10/31/04).
Gilbert Southern Corporation of Sunrise, Florida won the $26.5 million repair contract to repair the westbound span across the Escambia Bay. The contractor completed the job in 18 days, six days ahead of schedule. Work commenced on September 18, 2004 and the contractor received $1.5 million in bonuses for the early completion.2 Work followed involving the eastbound bridge soon thereafter. That construction was slated to take at least 90 days putting the overall repair job completion date by late December 2004. However the span reopened on November 27, 2004.
Damage to the eastbound span was more severe than first thought and it was unclear as to whether or not the bridge would be able to accommodate two lanes of travel. Plans to repair the bridges with temporary metal spans were abandoned due to the amount of these materials required and the excessive loads that two lanes of traffic would entail. Furthermore the loads on the westbound span were through to be too much for the bridge to carry. Thus it was possible that both bridges may only carry one lane of travel per direction with a full shoulder for emergency vehicle usage. All of this led officials to seek money for a replacement span for the ailing bridges.4
The Escambia Bay Bridges were the only original spans along Interstate 10 not replaced by late 1990s and early 2000s upgrades. In January of 2005, FDOT awarded a contract to a design-build team for the construction of replacement spans. Construction commenced immediately thereafter on a new four-lane span to carry two lanes of Interstate 10 in each direction. The original timetable looked to have at least one new span opened by the end of 2006, which occurred December 19, 2006. At that time construction continued on a second span to increase the number of lanes for Interstate 10 from four to six over Escambia Bay. That work continues with an anticipated completion date of November 2007. See http://escambiabaybridge.com/ for additional details and the Interstate 10 Florida Index for photos.
Escambia County Bridge Update
As of June 2005, construction was underway involving pile testing and other "groundwork" for the first replacement span. Traffic on the existing spans was relegated to just one lane with strict weight restrictions in place. Tractor trailers that used the span were required to enter make shift weigh stations regardless of direction travel. In addition, two single-lane metal spans were used along the eastbound bridge. These connections replaced sections of the bridge that were completely destroyed by Ivan. Due to the temporary nature of the metal crossings, tractor trailers were required to span the bridges one at a time. That coupled with a 15 mph speed limit resulted in 15-90 minutes of extra travel time per motorist during the busiest times of day.
Fortunately the restrictions and long-distance detour for overweight vehicles ended on December 19, 2006 when contractors completed and opened the newest Interstate 10 bridge. The future eastbound-only span carries all four lanes of Interstate 10 until completion of the future westbound-only span in late 2007. The new bridge includes an unusual kink to tie into the original Interstate 10 freeway at the Exit 17 interchange with U.S. 90. The curve was required in order to keep Interstate 10 open during the two-year construction period for the new bridges. Thus locals have dubbed the new span the "Crooked Bridge" because of the bridge jog.
Interstate 10 and Escambia Bay Bridge Photos
Escambia Bay Bridge Construction and Completion
The new eastbound Escambia Bay Bridge as it appeared one month before completion. Photos taken 11/23/06.
The last of the concrete deck is poured on November 25, 2006. Pictured here is the bridge from the U.S. 90 (Scenic Highway) over look at a nearby gas station. Photo taken 11/25/06.
Vehicles travel across the new "Crooked Bridge" as crews prepare to dismantle the original twin span. Photos taken by Alan Nitzman (03/03/07).
Test piles give way to actual piles for the new westbound span near the Escambia Bay channel. Photos taken by Alan Nitzman (03/03/07).
Interstate 10 Construction Photos
A Florida State Patrol officer keeps an eye on traffic just east of the Florida 291 (Exit 13) interchange. The speed limit drops to 45 mph as Interstate 10 approaches the weigh station. Interstate 10 eastbound traffic partitions into one through lane for cars and one truck lane for the weigh station. Photo taken 05/26/05.
Despite the 45 mph speed limit, during the evening peak hours of traffic, consider yourself fortunate to be driving 7 mph. It took AARoads 90 minutes to travel between Exit 13 and the east end of the Escambia Bay Bridges during the afternoon of May 26, 2005.
Drawing closer to the lane partition for the truck weigh station. This photo reveals Interstate 10 during midday, which is noticeably less traffic-choked then after 3 pm. Traffic at the bridge itself still crawled, but the four miles between Florida 291 and U.S. 90 (Exit 17) were traffic-free for the most part. Photo taken 05/23/05.
Unfortunately the right-hand lane defaults into the truck weigh station. The facility uses the "weigh in motion" technology, so to help speed up the process. If a truck violates the weight restriction, lane control signals overhead indicate for the driver to pull over to the corral lane. Otherwise cars unaware of the weigh station in the right-hand lane must trudge through the facility at around 5 mph. Photo taken 05/23/05.
A look at the temporary weigh station house on Interstate 10 eastbound. The lane beyond the jersey barrier is the corral lane where overweight trucks must travel. All trucks violating the restriction must depart Interstate 10 via Exit 17 onto U.S. 90 (Scenic Highway). Photo taken 05/23/05.
Traffic draws to a standstill at the approach to Escambia Bay and the folded-diamond interchange with U.S. 90 (Scenic Highway). The left-hand lane merges with the right-hand lane ahead of the U.S. 90 over crossing. Drivers jockeying for position unfortunately slow the process for other motorists still to the west. Photo taken 05/26/05.
Traffic cones shunt left-lane motorists into the right-hand lane beyond the Exit 17 ramp departure. The Exit 17 on-ramp from U.S. 90 onto Interstate 10 eastbound is closed indefinitely to prevent additional congestion from merging traffic on the right. Photo taken 05/26/05.
One lane road next three miles signs posted at the U.S. 90 over crossing. Traffic crawls westward from this point to Santa Rosa County irregardless of the time of day due to the strict weight restrictions placed upon tractor trailers. Photo taken 05/26/05.
Several series of warning signs advise motorists of the lane configuration and other hazards associated with the one-lane eastbound span. Slippery road signs are in place for the metal-deck crossings. Believe it or not, your vehicle will shimmy around when crossing the metal-grate sections! Note also that all of the original guide signs placed on the eastbound span are gone... Photo taken 05/26/05.
Interstate 10 Escambia Bay Bridges (before Hurricane Ivan...)
Northwestward facing views of Interstate 10 over Escambia Bay. 43,500 vehicles per day traveled the Interstate 10 Escambia Bay Bridges according to the FLDOT 2002 Florida Traffic Information cd-rom. The twin two-lane spans travel approximately 2.5 miles across the northern reaches of Escambia Bay. A navigational channel exists for barge and other traffic wandering northward to a Coal plant outside of Milton and to the Escambia River. Photos taken 05/07/04.
Peering at the Escambia Bay Bridges of Interstate 10 and the CSX Railroad from the southwest on the water itself. The September 15, 2004 landfall of Hurricane Ivan knocked out several bridge segments due its powerful storm surge. FLDOT traffic counters indicated that only three vehicles traveled the westbound span in the hour leading up to the eyewall. 46-year old truck driver Robert Alvarado was caught on the eastbound span during the height of the storm hauling a trailer full of fruits and vegetables to Miami when his tractor trailer tumbled into the water claiming his life.3 Photos taken 05/07/04.
Looking south at the Interstate 10 bridges. The westbound span reopened to traffic only 18 days after repair work began. The span carries one lane of east and westbound traffic until the eastbound bridge is restored. Photo taken 05/07/04.
Sources:
"I-10 bridge reopens; Gov. Bush thanks speedy crews." The Pensacola News Journal, October 5, 2004.
"I-10 bridge, destroyed by Hurricane Ivan, to reopen Tuesday." The Florida Times-Union. October 4, 2004.
"Westbound lanes of I-10 bridge open Tuesday." The Pensacola News Journal, October 4, 2004.
"Escambia Bay bridge work could take years." The Pensacola News Journal, November 5, 2004.
