Construction

FDOT crews beginning testing in area of Little Ringling bridges between downtown Sarasota and St. Armands, with eventual replacement of structures planned

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Work to proceed through Nov. 30

This is an aerial view of the Little Ringling bridges. Image from Google Maps

Workers with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will be conducting testing along State Road 789 (the John Ringling Causeway) from Bird Key Drive to Sarasota Harbor West through Nov. 30, the department has announced.

Overnight lane closures will occur from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., a news release pointed out. Crews will be drilling and boring for core testing for the future replacement of the Little Ringling bridges, an FDOT news release said.

The Accredited Testing Lab website explains, “Core drilling, or concrete or asphalt coring, is a specialized process used to extract cylindrical samples from structures such as concrete walls, floors, pavements, and asphalt surfaces. These samples, known as cores, are then analyzed to assess the material’s properties, integrity, and composition.”

Among the reasons to pursue such testing, the website adds, are the following:

  • Infrastructure maintenance: “Core drilling helps assess the condition of existing infrastructure, allowing for proactive maintenance and repairs.”
  • Construction projects: “During the construction phase, core drilling is performed to assess the quality of materials used in structures such as buildings, bridges, and roads.”

Overnight on Monday, Oct. 6, an FDOT crew used ground penetrating radar (GPR) for testing on the same stretch of State Road 789, in an effort to locate utilities and steel bars in the bridge deck in support of the drilling operations beginning next week, the news release noted.

Residents of the area “can expect noise from the drilling equipment” that the FDOT crews will use, the release added. “Motorists are encouraged to plan for additional travel time through the area,” it said.

This FDOT map shows the area where the bridges would be replaced. Image courtesy FDOT

FDOT’s plan for reconstructing the Little Ringling bridges features a single bridge with bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, the project webpage explains. The existing bridge “has no shoulders or designated bicycle facilities,” the webpage points out.

State Road 789 “serves as the only connection from downtown Sarasota to St. Armands Key and Lido Key,” the webpage also notes. The bridges, which cross Coon Key Waterway, were constructed in 1958, the webpage adds.

Yet, State Road 789 “is a critical part of the emergency evacuation route network, designated by the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the City of Sarasota, the webpage says.

The bridge replacement project would encompass three quarters of a mile, the webpage adds. The expense of the design work is $4 million.

For more information on the project, visit https://www.swflroads.com/project/436680-1

For real-time traffic updates, visit https://fl511.com/.