Is it too late to change the bridge landing?

http://news.gulfbreezenews.com/news/2016-01-14/Front_Page/Is_it_too_late_to_change_the_bridge_landing.html


I completely agree that it is a mistake of epic proportions to continue traffic flow through the center of GB. Just two months ago I sent an email to Grover Robinson about this very thing requesting a review of the chosen route (landfall). Several years ago I wrote a letter to the pnj for the opinion section as well.

I guess the business owners along 98 in Gulf Breeze had enough political clout to keep it running through there.

Bob wrote:I guess the business owners along 98 in Gulf Breeze had enough political clout to keep it running through there.

You are probably spot on Bob even though GB has a captive group of customers and would thrive equally well if the landfall were to be moved. Daily volume now averages 73,000 cars and this new bridge will be here for a minimum of 50 years so what will the traffic be like then? It will most likely be a one gigantic cluster&#@@!

Many years ago when I first started to understand what had happened with planning the route for I-10 through the panhandle,  that's when I realized that all these really important road projects are at the mercy of political clout. 

We should have I-10 running down the coast where all the population is instead of up there where it is running through cow pastures.   All politics.

knothead wrote:

Bob wrote:I guess the business owners along 98 in Gulf Breeze had enough political clout to keep it running through there.

You are probably spot on Bob even though GB has a captive group of customers and would thrive equally well if the landfall were to be moved.  Daily volume now averages 73,000 cars and this new bridge will be here for a minimum of 50 years so what will the traffic be like then? It will most likely be a one gigantic cluster&#@@!

Gulf Breeze would be fine, in my opinion.

With the expansion of lanes on the new bridge will bring more than 73,000 through GB and no it won't be fine, it will still be backed up, probably worse with the increase. I like Brown's proposal, but it won't fly. This thing is a go.

Gulf Breeze would be fine, in my opinion.


I don't know your interpretation of "fine" but today especially during the summer months traffic grinds to a halt and that will only get worse over time. The merchants in GB do not rely on thru traffic since they have a captive group of local Breezers and the beach population plus all the tourist traffic in summer. Rerouting would make life so much better for everyone in my mind. Having the school in the middle of town on a route this busy is insane especially when a opportunity to fix it comes along . . . . .

ppaca wrote:With the expansion of lanes on the new bridge will bring more than 73,000 through GB and no it won't be fine, it will still be backed up, probably worse with the increase. I like Brown's proposal, but it won't fly. This thing is a go.

Sorry, I meant with changing the route Mr. Brown proposed. Gulf Breeze has always supported local businesses.


Prior to Bo's Bridge.....residents down the hwy...wanted the bridge from Gulf Breeze National Sea Shore to Pensacola. That would have alleviated the terrible traffic congestion.

Knot....traffic along 98 down the highway is awful.

People who think elections do not matter only have to look at this mistake.

It is more than just the screw up on the southeast end of the bridge, but in my opinion and one that I have argued for ten years, the new bridge was an excellent opportunity to change the Northwest end of the bridge to line up with I-110, but more importantly create a better traffic flow to a new and expanded containerized modern port. I wrote over and over in the PNJ that this was an opportunity which was generational, and in the context of the port, made the port relevant again by using the very bridge connection to I 110 to set up a huge six block automated storage area for containers under 110.

Almost immediately after I was hammering this location when the Mayoral election was happening, a business group formed and talked about the importance of keeping the same footprint. Well it does not take a genius to know who the players were in the restaurant row businesses which wanted those cars to go by their real estate and business. This played out on the other side of the bridge, and once again special interests won and the people lost. This was a huge loss for the area.....huge.

2seaoat wrote:People who think elections do not matter only have to look at this mistake.

It is more than just the screw up on the southeast end of the bridge, but in my opinion and one that I have argued for ten years, the new bridge was an excellent opportunity to change the Northwest end of the bridge to line up with I-110, but more importantly create a better traffic flow to a new and expanded containerized modern port.  I wrote over and over in the PNJ that this was an opportunity which was generational, and in the context of the port, made the port relevant again by using the very bridge connection to I 110 to set up a huge six block automated storage area for containers under 110.

Almost immediately after I was hammering this location when the Mayoral election was happening, a business group formed and talked about the importance of keeping the same footprint.   Well it does not take a genius to know who the players were in the restaurant row businesses which wanted those cars to go by their real estate and business.   This played out on the other side of the bridge, and once again special interests won and the people lost.  This was a huge loss for the area.....huge.

Sea oat, the people behind the scenes in Pensacola do not want a fully functional port. All the documents regarding  the plans for the city call for a mixed media waterfront....the port is an eyesore and not part of the plan. Business is routinely turned away.

I agree that they do not want the port, but my argument was to move the Port a half mile east to line up with 110. Create a new entrance which was under 110 and would keep truck traffic out of downtown, and turn the existing port into a recreational port, and move the industrial port out into the bay connected to the new bridge which would be elevated when it got to the north shore as it lined up both in direction and elevation with the 110 corridor with an existing exit which have lined up with restaurant row. Two problems solved. Drive under 110 for six blocks and see the space for a containerized storage area. Eliminate so much traffic being poured into the city streets with a direct link to 110.

The folks with the big houses on the old pier would be pissed because their views would include a bridge and big ships unloading containers, but that is the problem.....special interests.....the tail wags the dog.

An impediment to the concept of converting our port to a competitive container facility is a natural barrier which could be overcome but only after very significant expense which in my mind is very improbable. That impediment is rail access. My own personal experience and exposure to mature developed container facilities convince me that applying the necessary changes to make rail access a reality in downtown Pensacola is a fairy tale. Competitive container facilities require major land acquisition with very long container trains coming and going 24/7. I challenge all to imagine any scenario that could overcome the challenges this would entail. Today the port is accessed via a spur located at Wright St. which then leads through the center of the business district blocking all streets for unacceptable lengths of time. I won't expound further on the multiple challenges, political, financial, etc., that present barriers that cannot be overcome in a culture that exists in Pensacola and Escambia County.

I say bring that bridge a mile the other way into the middle of proper and buy my property.

The rail link has been discussed where there was one proposal after the bridge crossing the escambia river the rail line winds down scenic highway. What they proposed was to go into the right of way on the North side of Interstate 10 and run it to the 110 corridor. I agree that the current rail configuration is a political hot potato, but if the rail came downtown from the 110 corridor and you had almost a mile of under 110 containerized storage, it could be an incredible containerized port, and open up to the public the old right of way along Scenic highway.

My problem has always been the failure of the state to coordinate economic development which requires better planning on major capital projects like the bridge. Local folks cannot coordinate rail and bridge changes. Alabama has mastered the State taking the lead and defining economic projects whose scope is beyond local people. I argued and argued, but folks downtown want the port and the railroad gone......a tragedy as Cuba is opening up to trade and the Port of Pensacola in the 40s was the largest trading port with Cuba in America.....shortsighted leadership at the state.

ppaca wrote:I say bring that bridge a mile the other way into the middle of proper and buy my property.

Reminds me of one of my 'late to Bunco' excuses. I got held up by the train on Fairpoint. Only a couple of people got it....the rest just said "oh sorry".

2seaoat wrote:The rail link has been discussed where there was one proposal after the bridge crossing the escambia river the rail line winds down scenic highway.  What they proposed was to go into the right of way on the North side of Interstate 10 and run it to the 110 corridor.   I agree that the current rail configuration is a political hot potato, but if the rail came downtown from the 110 corridor and you had almost a mile of under 110 containerized storage, it could be an incredible containerized port, and open up to the public the old right of way along Scenic highway.

My problem has always been the failure of the state to coordinate economic development which requires better planning on major capital projects like the bridge.  Local folks cannot coordinate rail and bridge changes.  Alabama has mastered the State taking the lead and defining economic projects whose scope is beyond local people.   I argued and argued, but folks downtown want the port and the railroad gone......a tragedy as Cuba is opening up to trade and the Port of Pensacola in the 40's was the largest trading port with Cuba in America.....shortsighted leadership at the state.

It has been many years but my memory of rerouting the mainline around Pensacola came up I believe in the 70's or early 80's following a series of well publicized derailments. My recollection was that the City of Pensacola in concert with the County made a formal request of the then L&N to route the main around the community. The Company responded positively with one caveat . . . . . they must foot the bill and as I recall it was estimated to be around $45M. No further discussion was pursued