It is hard to believe, but there has been another delay on the eternal 17th Street bridge repair and rebuilding project.
Motorists frustrated with traffic snarls on and near the bridge will have to grit their teeth and bear it for at least five extra weeks, thanks to a damaged drainpipe that has temporarily halted structural repair work on the eastbound side of the span that links Central Beach to the mainland.
Work continues to finish coating the completed portion of the bridge deck, said Kris Kehres, Treasure Coast Operations Engineer for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which is managing the project. Work on the bridge is still expected to be completed by the end of this summer, he said, providing there are no other unforeseen problems or weather interruptions.
Replacement of structural beams on the final span on the south side of the bridge had to be paused while workers assess the damage to a 48-inch concrete pipe east of the bridge landing that discharges rainwater from the bridge and roadway into a nearby canal, said Marla Hewson, FDOT’s construction manager for the project.
The pipe was damaged during pile-driving operations when crews shifted to work on the eastbound side, Kehres said. Contractors noticed air escaping from the pipe, the location of which was not shown on plans for the project, he said. The extent of the damage and the cost of repairing it won’t be known until FDOT personnel can examine the pipe more thoroughly.
FDOT has accepted responsibility for the damage and will absorb the cost of the repair, said Chad Rucks, the agency’s construction engineer for Treasure Coast Operations.
“During any construction project, sometimes unforeseen things happen,” Rucks said. “We have contingencies in place for these kinds of problems.”
No additional lane closures will be necessary to repair the pipe, Hewson said.
“We’re looking forward to bringing this critical infrastructure project to completion in the very near future,” Kehres said.
The $22.3 million project involves completely rebuilding a 400-foot section at the eastern end of the bridge, which failed due to crumbling concrete and rusted rebar. Work began in September 2023 and was initially estimated to last 18 months, with completion in the summer of 2025, but a series of delays and problems, including the bankruptcy or the original main contractor, pushed the date forward.
As plans progressed, the estimated completion date was extended to the summer of 2028. However, thanks to a quiet hurricane season last year and taking on additional crews, FDOT now hopes to complete work this year.
Last January, at the height of tourist season, the bridge closed completely for a week, causing long traffic backups on the Barber Bridge, the other main conduit to and from the barrier island.
Making matters worse for motorists, construction also was occurring at the intersection of State Road 60 and Indian River Boulevard at the west end of the Barber Bridge, limiting eastbound entry to the bridge to just one lane.
Begun in 1977 and completed in 1979, the Vero bridge was nearing the end of its projected life when problems were first detected. The structure was found to be in critical condition in 2018 and deemed structurally deficient in 2020.
An initial $2.3 million repair project closed lanes on the bridge intermittently in late 2020 and throughout 2021. That project called for FDOT contractors to repair concrete erosion on 10 support columns on the east side of the bridge and install new barrier walls in the middle of the bridge, new railing, and new LED lighting. The work was originally estimated to last six months, but delays and the discovery of more damage caused the project to start late and stretch on for more than a year.
Photos provided by Florida Department of Transportation
