Friday, August 15, 2008

New Muse Bridge Opens Early

Glades County Bee Branch Bridge Open

LABELLE, FL. -- The new Bee Branch River Bridge on County Road 720 in Muse in Glades County opened to traffic Wednesday morning at noon, five days ahead of schedule.

The newly constructed 48-foot-wide concrete bridge, which replaces a 20-foot-wide structure, enhances safety and improves the flow of traffic, say officials. It also accommodates all sizes of vehicles and removes restrictions to commercial trucks previously prohibited from using old bridge because of weight restrictions.

When FDOT awarded the $1.4 million contract to Pittsfield Construction, the department made clear to the contractor its commitment to Glades County to have the new bridge open to traffic on or before Monday, August 18, which is the first day of school.

"We are very pleased with our contractor's hard work and equal commitment to building the new bridge on schedule during the summer months,"said FDOT District One Secretary Stan Cann.  "This project has been a priority for both the county and the department.  Pittsfield Construction and Allied Engineering & Testing understood fully the job's importance and did excellent work for us and for the people who live in the area and routinely drive CR 720. And I want to emphasize how much we appreciate the high level of cooperation we received every step of the way from Glades County Commissioners and the school board, as well as from individual citizens and the business community," said Secretary Cann. 

The $1.4 million project included building improvements to approaches to the bridge, adding paved shoulders, and placing new guardrail and signs.

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