Columbus Drive Bridge Construction & Closure

Hillsborough County has started work on the re-building of the 85-year-old Columbus Drive Bridge in West Tampa.  The swing bridge carries traffic over the Hillsborough River, connecting West Tampa and Tampa Heights. The project is expected to be completed by Spring 2012.  The total budget for the project is $8.6 million.

History/Background
The Columbus Drive Bridge in West Tampa over the Hillsborough River was constructed in 1926. The Columbus Drive Bridge was designed by Norman S. Sprague and the Mount Vernon Bridge Company. At 470 feet long, it serves as a vital link between West Tampa and the Westshore business core. It is only one of two existing botailbobtail swing bridges left in the state of Florida. In 2006, the bridge was granted a historic designation.

Construction Project
A complete rehabilitation of the Bridge is required as it has outlived its normal useful life span and needs to be upgraded to current standards. The major repairs include the reconditioning/replacement of mechanical bridge elements, replacement of the electrical bridge control system, replacement of the bridge roadway deck grating, structural concrete and steel repairs, painting of the bridge structure, and tender house reconstruction.

Schedule
The project will proceed in two phases:

• Phase 1 (which started in May 2011) - one lane will be intermittently closed for approximately six months of the project on the south of the bridge.
  
  
• Phase 2 - in November, the bridge will close entirely for 90 days to allow the contractor to open the drawbridge and perform replacement work on its components

The full project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2012. The total budget for the project is $8.6 million. When the work is completed, the Bridge will be restored to its original functionality and historical appearance.