Flagler County government learned today that the $12.3 million pedestrian bridge over State Road 100, once derided for its glare and still gleaming with punchlines, was among the dozens of projects receiving a National Recognition Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) in the 2024 Engineering Excellence Awards competition.
The National Recognition Award is the lowest level of awards in the competition, ranking more in the line of honorable mentions. Over 40 projects got such mentions in last year’s awards, including four in Florida alone. There was one Grand Conceptor Award, which recognizes the year’s best overall engineering accomplishment. That went to Michael Maltzan Architecture for the $588 million Sixth Street Viaduct.
There were eight Grand Awards, the next-highest level of recognition, including the wave-like Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge over the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., and a massive port terminal in North Charleston, S.C.
Next in the awards category were the 16 Honor Awards, and finally came the 40-some recognitions. At the gala itself, the recognitions are acknowledged in a 15-minute “tribune” before the actual dinner, when the top awards are announced. The Grand Awards and Honors Awards recipients are listed on the council’s awards gala webpage. Recipients of the Recognition Award are not.
When the council hosts its 2024 gala a in Washington next May 15, the recognition will go to Kisinger Campo and Associates, the engineering company that designed the bridge for the county.
“Kisinger, Campo, and Associates did an excellent job designing a unique, one-of-a-kind structure that would enhance the State Road 100 corridor leading to Flagler Beach,” Flagler County Engineering Department Project Manager Amy Stroger was quoted as saying in a county release issued today. “The inspiration for the design was drawn from the A-frame shape of the Flagler Beach Pier.”
“This should be called Faith Bridge,” County Commissioner Dave Sullivan said at the bridge’s dedication in September, describing the bridge as al-Khatib’s “baby.” The county release ignored her contribution.
Kisinger Campo and Associates had not. In June 2020, immediately after the design firm had completed the design of what it referred to as the Trail Overpass Bridge, as it was then called, H. Simon Hagedoom wrote the county administrator at the time that the design was conducted in conjunction with the county engineering department. “In particular I had the pleasure of working with Faith Alkhatib, Flagler County Engineer, and assisting her were Amy Stroger and Richard Gordon. I wanted to let you know they have been one of the best clients that my Team and I have had the opportunity to work with in my 25-year career.”
The bridge crosses 100 between Colbert Lane and Old Kings Road. It added more than two miles of trails to serve as a connection for the trail system that crisscrosses Flagler County, but for now its south terminus lives up to the Bridge-to-Nowhere moniker, as the trail curves back to 100. Plans are for the trail eventually to extend into the lush greens of Bulow. Still, its new reach into Graham Swamp provides pedestrians and bicyclists a rather unique experience in close communion with nature, while the bridge itself is a safe way to cross a four-lane thoroughfare that has claimed its share of lives, cyclists and pedestrians among them, in the most dangerous state for pedestrians.
The Northeast Florida Regional Council in December 2023 announced that the Flagler Greenways Pedestrian Bridge was the recipient of its Annual Regional Awards for Excellence in the category of Transportation. Later that same month, it was one of seven “top tier” projects that took the Grand Award at the Florida equivalent of the Florida Engineering Excellence Awards, thus making it eligible for the the national ACEC competition.
As she has for innumerable other projects, especially for beach restoration, Al-Khatib secured state Department of Transportation money to pay for the bridge, limiting county expenses significantly.
“This is amazing,” Stroger said in the release. “Every project is important, and excellence is always our goal.” She was referring to the county’s engineering department. “We are humbled and honored by this recognition.”
“This is a wonderful project that adds so many benefits to our community,” said County Administrator Heidi Petito. “What an honor it is to be recognized nationally for this project. Everyone who worked on this project did a great job.”
Celia Pugliese says
Heidi so nice would have been that the #1 person that manage the bridge construction should have been given the credit and not the one chosen for it. Well, but she was booted! Some regime runs this county! I was reminded in Flaglerlive by some “Astute” and well connected probably.
Jane Jane Gentile Youd says
Faith worked her butt for the county. She saved them a ton of money on the purchase of land for the Matanzas overpass ( land bought also from Mori Hosseini); she actually RESIGNED for a better paying job about 7 years ago when Coffey was still here and he matched her offer and begged her to stay, Granted she cost us money with the Plantation Bay Water fiasco but she did what Coffey told her to do…. When Jerry came along he just sold the system and got it off Faith’s hands – where it should have never been dunpted in the first place.
The new engineer told me 2 months ago that Old Dixie Highway is not in Flagler County but only in Volusia County. I hung up on him and have not spoken to him since nor have any desire to. I miss Faith; she always dressed and spoke in a highly respectful and professional manner .
Another county mess up. They just keep coming, don’t they?
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Forgot to add that one day when I was with a group of Plantation Bay residents touring the water facility controlled by the county General Services department which Heidi was the Director. Heidi told me ‘Faith dumped the PB Water facility on my department. Well guess what – Faith was not hired to be in charge of water – she is a civil design engineer and the water facility should never have been dumped on Faith by Coffey and his cohort Hadeed who orchestrated the scam purchase of the decrepit Plantation Bay water system deal in 2013 from Mori Hosseini ( for 4 times the appraised value and with a chunk of land in the original contract somehow remained with the seller)….
And all Faith did was what she was told to do and she got us every dime available from FDOT. The Deland staff worked very well with Faith; she was stolen by the County from FDOT but retained close ties and contacts which helped her save US so much money on projects – granted some of them I don’t like but that is not the issue –
Faith did her job ( even if she may have personally not liked a project is not the issue) with her heart and her head and went home at night after a hard days work and not to a back door hangout of the disgraceful administrator we have now.
Greg says
Wow. I think it’s an eyesore.
No Political Affiliation says
It’s hideous and I’ve never seen anyone use it. I’m not exaggerating, never seen a car parked at it or a person walking on it. What a waste of money. I understand this was one of those, use it or lose it type funding scenarios, but the fact that out tax dollars are gonna have to be used to maintain this disused lump of concrete and steel…hard pass.
FlaPharmTech says
Perhaps it should be repurposed as a wild animal crossing. Our wildlife is being mercilessly alienated by humans.
Greg says
It’s funny that Palm Coast is never listed as one of the best places to retire in Florida. Several newspapers today list the best places and Palm Coast is not mentioned.
TR says
There’s nothing funny about it. In fact it’s sad looking just back 5 to 10 years . So it is rightfully not on the list. It shouldn’t be on the list because it’s no longer one of the best places to retire too. Thanks to Alfin and the council not doing their job, but instead pushing their own personal agenda.
Deborah Coffey says
Money Magazine and USA Today used to list it in top places to retire.
Ed P says
Greg/TR
We can’t have it both ways. Some long time Palm Coasters chronically complain on line about the traffic and uncontrolled growth. Anything other than road projects are ridiculed and tagged wasteful. Posters complain taxes are too high. Every elected official is an idiot, corrupt and a realtor. Rents are too high, our trees are being wiped out, Homes are flooding. Northerners are driving house prices too high. If my only news source was Flagler Live and everyone’s posts, i might believe we are a bunch of dysfunctional racist, homophobic morons.
Is it a wonder we aren’t listed?
In my view, Flagler County is a little slice of heaven and yes we have problems and Pierre brings many of them to our attention. However, from a spectators seat, it could appear very differently.
Jay Gardner says
Well said! For 46 I have counted my blessings to live here.
dd says
I was so thrilled when this project started. Until I realized that it was a bridge to nowhere (south). Without any available parking. It can’t even be a starting point to riding north.
The Villa Beach Walker says
If you park in the lot at Publix at Beach Village you can ride or walk via sidewalks or in the bike lane to the bridge and from there access the Lehigh trail system. You can ride the Lehigh trail for miles. The Lehigh trail meets Colbert in a couple of locations and from there you can make your way back to 100 and go back to Publix. Another route is to go down Roberts Road which has access to Wadsworths Park. Wadworths Park is across Roberts Road from Publix. There’s also plenty of parking across 100 at Beach Village where the Flagler County Tax collector’s offices are. You can cross 100 often safely at the intersection at100 and Roberts / John Anderson Roads.
Lee brickser says
Anybody know where you are supposed to park if you want to use the new trail and bridge from sr100? I see a nice big area on the north side of the road that’s fenced off that would make a great parking area. You have to park on the side of 100 to unload your bikes and walk across a soggy swale to access this place. Something is missing from this project at this location. Anybody agree?
Don Williams says
It’s designed to access from the old kings entrance. Nothing on the 100 side, they didn’t think people would park there. There is some space at the base of the south side a few cars could park. Hopefully FHP or FB police don’t tow you.
Dennis C Rathsam says
Back in the day, when the new exit ramp in Matanzas Woods, was being built I spoke with Faith many many times about the destruction of so many trees, & the ammount of traffic noise, with them gone. She did nothing to adress the noise, but did promise many new bushes & trees, to make up for all the ones killed. As you can see when you pass this exit…There are a handfull of little trees, and litter. No sign Welcomming you to Matanzas Woods, which was also promised by Ms Holland….Years later nothings been done. Every other part of the city has a sign, & they all light up at night. Im glad she,s gone. She was no help at all.
Don Williams says
The bridge isn’t that bad. The path over the swamp is nice. I do think the $$ could have been better used & wasn’t needed though.
The fact is that whole area will be built. Houses will be going up & all the nice paths & bridge will loose any nature aspects when you can see houses in the background & the roar of traffic.
Jeff Miller says
Does anyone really care about this. Total waste of money.
rapscallion says
it was a federal grant i believe.
FlaglerLive says
A Florida Department of Transportation grant.
rapscallion says
yes my bad. great article on the church and saint christopher shrine. i bicycled to see it.
Tim says
Does no one find it funny that this thing got an award? They must have not seen how bad the sun reflected off that thing. It was so bad they had to spray it with something to cut the reflection down . I don’t know what the used but it killed the tree and grass by that thing for a few months. I wonder how long before we have to replace all that aluminum and what that treatment did to the concrete. Time will tell .
Been There says
Maybe FlaglerLive can do a story on those individuals Heidi Petitio and the administration – including Pam Wu, HR director – have let go over the last 3 years? They have let go of a lot of people, including mid and upper management, for trumped up stories, finding staff who will go along with the story they want to tell or threatening staff that won’t go along. Faith was just one of many good managers that have been let go. All to control her group and put her friends in high places so no one goes against her. Wrong, but that is was the county does.
You should know better says
Management 101, never fill key positions with friends or relatives, history has proven time and time again it is the surest path for DISASTER.
Unfortunately this is a common practice of novice executives who need their “BESTIES” close to hide their inexperience and insecurity.
Shinny bridge more like says
The original design of the bridge was flawed because the reflection it created could blind people, posing a danger to the community. The article seems to be overly positive about the engineer, ignoring these significant issues. It’s disappointing to see such a biased perspective.
rapscallion says
I’m a south sider and I can access the trails all over PC starting at home and using sidewalks, neighborhoods, and crossing safely at intersections. I’ve stopped using the bike lanes on 1 and 100
Commit several hours to your mental and physical health by riding from your house.
Stop along the way to breathe in the outdoors.
You won’t regret it.
Mary says says
Don’t feel sorry for Faith. She’s laughing all the way to the bank. Flagler County should have hired an outside engineering firm years ago. All County managers were given exorbitant salaries while the true workforce were either laid off or given a pennies raise or nothing at all.