This bridge provides a critical link between Manasota Key and the City of Englewood in Charlotte County, Florida. The project was split into four phases in which the first was a comprehensive inspection and evaluation of the Tom Adams Bascule Bridge. The goal of this project is to extend the life of the bridge for more than 50 years assuming routine maintenance is completed on the structure on a regular basis. Rehabilitation plans were developed in phase two based on the findings of the initial inspection done in phase one. These plans called for 680 ft of integral pile jacketing providing cathodic protection for the piles, the replacement of 49,000 lb of structural steel on the bascule span, the painting of all of the structural steel, the restoration of over 1200 sf of spalled concrete deck and the epoxy injection to seal almost 700 ft of cracking in the concrete sea walls. The railing was upgraded to improve the safety of the vehicles and expansion joint seals were installed to reduce future maintenance work. Permits were acquired from the U.S. Coast Guard and from the SWFMD that added special criteria to monitor and limit the turbidity and oxygen levels during construction in this Outstanding Florida Waterway. American/Avalon was responsible not only for the design and permitting of this work, but also for the Construction Engineering and Inspection.

Future phases of this project will further improve the operation of the bascule bridge by building a new tender to increase visibility and replace worn mechanical and electrical component of the bascule machinery. The aesthetics of the bridge will be improved in the construction of the new tender house in phase three and further enhanced in phase four by installing decorative lighting and applying aesthetic concrete coating.

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