Site Navigation Alabama Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee     Hurricane Ivan Road Information 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. Interstate 10 Bridge Closure (source: Pensacola News Journal). 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 remains in question and therefore high load bearing vehicles and permit loads are not permitted on the bridge. The truck detour remains as follows: Non-local commercial traffic detour: From Interstate 10 east of Pensacola take Exit 70 (Florida 285) northward to U.S. Highway 90. Truck traffic will proceed west on U.S. Highway 90, then go west on Florida 4 to U.S. Highway 29 North at Flomaton. Take U.S. 29 to Alabama 113 to access Interstate 65 southbound. Interstate 65 will carry trucks southwest to Mobile, Alabama and junction Interstate 10. Reverse the procedure for Interstate 10 eastbound Local commercial traffic and general public detour: From Interstate 10 east take Exit 5 (U.S. 90 Alternate) onto Nine Mile Road east. Nine Mile Road travels north of Pensacola to U.S. 90 (Scenic Highway) just west of the Escambia River. Continue from U.S. 90 Alternate east onto U.S. 90 east to junction Florida 281. At Florida 281 (Avalon Boulevard) in Pea Ridge, turn southward to rejoin Interstate 10 at Exit 22. Reverse the order for Interstate 10 westbound. 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 is now also complete involving the eastbound bridge. 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 is more severe than first thought and it is unclear as to whether or not the bridge will 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 will entail. Furthermore the loads on the westbound span may be too much for the bridge to carry. Thus is it possible that both bridges may only carry one lane of travel per direction with a full shoulder for emergency vehicle usage. All of this has led officials to seek money for a replacement span for the ailing bridges.3 However with all of that stated, the eastbound span reopened to traffic on November 27, 2004. The westbound span was restored to carry two lanes and the eastbound span is relegated to just one through lane. Replacement of the ailing spans with a new wider bridge is planned and processes to secure funding are now underway. The Escambia Bay Bridges are the only original spans along Interstate 10 not replaced by late 1990s and early 2000s upgrades. It was announced in January of 2005 that FDOT will award a contract to a design-build team for the construction of replacement spans. Construction will commence immediately thereafter on a new four-lane span to carry two lanes of Interstate 10 in each direction. The present timetable looks to have at least one new span opened by the end of 2006. At that time construction will continue on a second span to increase the number of lanes for Interstate 10 from four to six over Escambia Bay. See http://escambiabaybridge.com/ for additional details and the Interstate 10 Florida Index for photos. Escambia Bay Bridge Update The new span for Interstate 10 eastbound opened on December 19, 2006 and currently carries all four lanes of Interstate 10. The bridge opened in less than two years and replaces the damaged original bridges to the north. Construction continues on a new westbound-only span with completion hoped for November of 2006. Additional work involves demolition of the original spans to allow for the new westbound bridge to tie into the freeway at Exit 17. Upon completion of the entire project, Interstate 10 will carry six lanes overall with 10' shoulders on both the inside and outside lanes. The new Escambia Bay Bridge side by side with the original eastbound span. Photo taken 11/23/06. In the meantime area residents have dubbed the new Interstate 10 span the "Crooked Bridge" due to its unique curvature near the west end. The roadway arcs abruptly to tie into the existing roadway west of U.S. 90 and Exit 17. The curvature allowed for Interstate 10 to remain open during the length of the construction project. Roads Damaged by Hurricane Ivan Bob Sikes Bridge (Santa Rosa County 399) 30 feet of the bridge was destroyed in addition to the approaches themselves. The span opened September 22, 2004 for Pensacola Beach residents only. Vehicles had to have an official beach decal on their vehicle to cross. Navarre Beach Causeway (Santa Rosa County 399) Significant structural damage was done to the crossing and it remained closed until November 3, 2004. Pedestrian traffic however was permitted across the span. The bridge to Navarre is no longer a tolled facility due to the destruction of the toll plaza from Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina. U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge The three mile long span was closed as storm surge erosion displaced the approaches. The span opened September 21, 2004 to residents and emergency crews and is now fully open. Florida Toll 281 (Garcon Point Bridge) Some structure damage was done to the two-lane span and reopening occurred on September 22, 2004. Tolls on the span were suspended to aid hurricane recovery efforts and allow emergency vehicles greater access to impacted areas. However they were reinstituted in November 2004 back to $3.00 per passenger vehicle. U.S. 98 Lillian Highway Bridge The span was closed because of structural damage on the Alabama side of Perdido Bay and flooding on the Escambia County side. As of October 5, 2004, all of U.S. 98 between the Alabama state line and Bay County is open to traffic. However work to bring the highway up to four lanes between Fort Walton Beach and Destin is expected to take another 120 days. U.S. 90 Escambia River causeway Hurricane debris and damage rendered the eastbound carriageway of U.S. 90 impassable. The westbound direction did accommodate one lane of traffic in each direction. However closure and repairs on September 21 and 22, 2004 see the four-lane causeway completely reopened. Florida 292 Perdido Key Bridge / Perdido Key Road The span and roadway was closed due to flooding and structural damage and is open to emergency personnel until further notice. Shuttle service is available for area residents. Repair work on the highway is slated for completion by late January 2005. Florida 196 (Bayfront Parkway) The eastbound side of the divided highway was washed out by Ivan's storm surge. Reconstruction is underway involving Bayfront Parkway and completion is expected by the end of December 2004. Rep. Holly Benson, R-Pensacola touted opening Florida 196 as a two-lane facility with bike paths, but she could not garner enough support and the roadway reopened as a four-lane facility. Main Street (Florida 196) Flooding and debris covered the downtown area thoroughfare but the highway is now open. Florida 291 (Davis Highway) Debris and downed power lines were cleaned up and the highway is open as of 09-17-04. U.S. 98 from the Okaloosa County line to Gulf Breeze. Reopened as of 09-17-04. Florida 87 Reopened as of 09-17-04. Access to Navarre Beach, Pensacola Beach, and Perdido Key is prohibited until further notice. After clean-up was completed, FDOT expanded the southern terminus with U.S. 98 to include a new intersection midway between the diagonal ramps. Sources: 1 - "I-10 bridge reopens; Gov. Bush thanks speedy crews." The Pensacola News Journal, October 5, 2004. 2 - "I-10 bridge, destroyed by Hurricane Ivan, to reopen Tuesday." The Florida Times-Union. October 4, 2004. 3 - "Escambia Bay bridge work could take years." The Pensacola News Journal, November 5, 2004. Page Updated March 15, 2007.