Arlington drivers can look for a new bridge to cross.
The Florida Department of Transportation proposes an estimated $20.6 million replacement of the University Boulevard bridge, which spans the Arlington River from Cesery Boulevard to Clifton Avenue.
Department spokesman Mike Goldman said Monday the department would build a temporary bridge next to the span during the construction, which could start in 2014 and take an estimated 2 1/2 years.
The St. Johns River Water Management District received an application June 8 for the project, which is a replacement of what formally is called the Joseph B. Mallard Bridge.
The Florida Department of Transportation District 2 is listed as the entity to receive the permit. The consultant is Connelly & Wicker Inc.
According to the application, the bridge has been classified as “structurally deficient with substantial
geometric conditions and warrants replacement.”
Goldman said the bridge was built in 1957 and became “structurally deficient” in 1999, a designation that does not mean there is a hazard to drivers.
“The bridge is currently safe for traffic, but the structurally deficient rating means the bridge needs replacement,” he said. Goldman said specific structural deficiencies cannot be disclosed per Florida Statutes, Section 119.07(3).
He said the bridge has regular inspections and maintenance work.
Goldman said the average daily two-way traffic count in 2010 on the bridge was 27,711.
Documents show the project consists of replacing the existing two-lane bridge with a new two-lane bridge within the existing corridor and providing a temporary bridge during the original bridge’s demolition.
Goldman said construction of the new bridge will include 4-foot-wide bike lanes on both sides and 6 1/2-foot-wide sidewalks. Pedestrians now have 3 1/2-foot curbs.
The new bridge will be slightly shorter than the existing bridge because of a slight realignment.
Goldman said the project will be design-build, meaning the final design will be completed once the project starts.
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