Last Updated: Aug. 4.
Replacement of the pedestrian bridge on Belle Terre Parkway just south of Buddy Taylor Middle School is underway, with demolition and replacement efforts being conducted by Custom Built Marine Construction, with oversight from the City of Palm Coast’s Stormwater & Engineering Department.
The existing timber walkway is currently undergoing total demolition, with the intent of replacing the existing bridge with a 10-foot-wide concrete pedestrian path. Contractors are also creating a roadside swale which will function as a stormwater runoff from Belle Terre Parkway, where water will be conveyed into the existing ditch via a series of basins and culverts. This design will reduce the previous washouts and erosion issues that were present with the previous bridge.
Another component of the project involves lining of the existing culverts under the roadway on Belle Terre Parkway, with HDPE pipes and grout, thereby extending the life span of the culverts without the need to do an open cut along the parkway. This process also works to prevent potential future expenses for the city, which would be incurred should the existing pipes ever deteriorate to the point of needing replacement while also allowing for the work to take place with minimal interference to vehicular traffic.
Due to the nature of this project, contractors are asking all pedestrians and those traveling by vehicle to be mindful of their surroundings while near the construction site and abiding by pedestrian traffic closure and detour signs along Belle Terre Parkway between Buddy Taylor Middle School and Pritchard Drive for the duration of the project.
The reconstruction of the bridge is taking place barely 10 years after it was completed. In 2011, a nearby project was a flashpoint between then City Manager Jim Landon and the contractor the city hired for the project. Landon criticized the company over delays, design changes and design specifications that were not followed, according to the way he presented the issue to the council at the time. Landon also criticized the company for not using the right type of concrete on abutments.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly linked the pedestrian bridge under repair now to the segment of the company’s work Landon was criticizing a decade ago. A company official wrote on Aug. 3 that “The issue there was not over concrete footing strength but a small note that we had to use an FDOT approved mix design which we missed. The psi of concrete exceeded that of the FDOT mix however the City did not want to pay us for it and that was their way of retribution for some other design build issues that they wanted but were clearly not included in our bid.”
Substantial completion of this project is slated for November 2022 with minor items to be completed by late December 2022. View the video update below.
Joe says
My Daddy always told me that if you do it right the first time, you don’t have to do it twice!
Mark says
Wow, I remember being beat up on this bridge when I was in middle school. Great times.
James Mejuto says
What do I think? : Gigantic bridges in Europe have survived thousands of years but yet we can’t build a bridge
to last more than ten.
Could it be, it was never intended to survive ? This reminds me of Detroit’s mission to build
cars to last 10 years.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Redo the bridge, redo the splash pad,REDO the Councilmen! This is why are taxes keep going up.You hire a bunch of clowns…expect a circus.
Bill says
Your daddy was right! Seems to me that Mr. Landon may have been right also. Of course, it is /was Cline of the “good ole boy network.
Denali says
Once again the taxpayers foot the bill for electing incompetent council members who hire an incompetent city manager. Ten years of life for a civil engineering project like this bridge is embarrassing. The designers as well as the contractor cannot be held liable because they acted on information and guidance provided by the city. Too bad we cannot get compensation from the inept council members or the former city manager for hiring city staff who were not capable of providing proper guidance to the designer/contractor. But, never fear, the gullible taxpayer will once again pick up the tab for their failures.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Hey Joe, Daddy also said measure twice cut once….What happened to the splash pad? Same old story….Why cant Palm Coast do anything right!
Mina Field says
I’m wondering why then was there work going on there this past fall and winter to replace rotted boards? Seems very inefficient use if taxpayers money.
A.j says
Do I see more tax $s being used wisely or another big waste.
Jerome says
The biggest mistake they made was to have Palm Coast Storm water and Engineering involved. They are clueless. They dug up the swale in front of my house three times and the water does not drain. I really think they believe that water flows uphill!!!
Johnny says
Measure twice cut once!
Denali says
I agree, they do think water runs uphill. We never had swale problems until a house was built between my neighbor one lot over and us. The city approved the installation of the new culvert about 6″ higher than ours. When questioned the city told me I was wrong and could not read the drawings properly. Interesting; as a successful engineer, I taught basic civil engineering at a major Midwest university. Long story short, a year later the city was back wanting to raise my culvert to promote proper drainage. Problem was that if my culvert was raised a standard car would never make it across the hump they would create in the driveway. That was my problem they said – When I offered them the choice of rebuilding the street and my drive to make it accessible or court, they decided to lower the new neighbors culvert to where it should have been originally. Frick and Frack would have done a better job.
Dave M says
I like another here wonder why they spent money on new boards with city workers this past year. Whose brilliant planning went into spending thousands of dollars in material and labour only to scrap it all. once again great planning by our overpaid city officials.
Lon says
I thought there was a city ordinance or law that there would be sidewalks I’m on Pritchard there’s no sidewalk, all the buses go down there all students are picked up at at each street but they never put a sidewalk there. I’ve been hit by a car at least once on Pritchard I wonder if they remember that but I appreciate the fact that they’re building a brand new bridge that I connect to a street and no sidewalk.
Lon says
Again I wish to say thank you for rebuilding 10 years later a brand new bridge to a non-connecting sidewalk on Pritchard. Whiteview does have a sidewalk and there is a sidewalk 0n both sides of Belle Terre but I think they missed the street where the buses go down,Where people get hit by cars for kids and students walk up and down. Very disappointing it’s not a new street but I do think they’re not aware of it.
Allen snyder says
I think the clowns in palm coast paid to have the planks on the walkway bridge replaced 6 months ago. And then replace the bridge 6 months later pay out of their own pocket the cost not the taxpayers
ULTRA MAGA says
Another ‘project’ by Storm Water and Engineering, Yet so many complaints about Swales that NEVER get corrected! Keep your Sand Bags Ready!
James says
Because it was so far gone they had too… someone would have ended up gator meat.
I hate to comment here on every article, but I did actually use that bridge… once. I came across it on a long bike ride up that way. Let me honestly tell you, my first thought was to get off my bike and walk it across for fear of puncturing a tire, the boards were that bad. Furthermore, most of them were loose and rattled and shaked as I rode over them (all the way… and it’s kinda long). I didn’t think anything of it at the time since my second thought was “just how long was this here,” I was under the impression that it must have been built at least twenty years prior… and this is going back a few years now.
On the way back I noted the gators waiting around underneath, for lunch.
Bartholomew says
I be been in my house for 5 years and theswale has never been dry.
David S. says
Jerome us too. The water sits in ours after a rain and flows no where I’m tired of this I think I will fill mine up with fill dirt and the hell with those idiots.
Morgan Monaco says
This was build the wrong way to beguine & now 10 feet wide for 1 bicycle & just a few kids…another nonsens..
cgm says
there is never enough time to do it right but there’s always time to do it again!
Chris says
Incompetence abounds again in Palm Coast! How do we citizens keep letting the wrong people run the show?
Good Enough, Aint... says
This time I have two words for the engineers responsible for the construction details: Pressure Treated! Then, you mop or roll on some thompsons water seal UV blocker every other year that bridge deck will last 50 years.
Tommy k says
I agree with many comments about double expenditure!The boards were just put in this past Fall, why didn’t they think about what they’re doing now then?? Also now that school will be in session how are the students going to and from school that are walkers?? Bad timing and expense!
Regulator says
Why wasn’t this job started as soon as school let out. Now someone tell me where the school children are supposed to walk. Someone in scheduling needs to take their head out of their you know what.