With the recent discovery of cracks and severe corrosion on the Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart still top of mind, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Kevin Thibault has called for a “proactive review” of segmental bridge inspection procedures throughout the state.
The Roosevelt Bridge was last inspected two years ago, and was found to be in good condition at that time.
However, FDOT now plans to review inspection findings, in addition to FDOT laboratory test results.
.@FDOT_Secretary Kevin J. Thibault, P.E. has called for a proactive review of segmental bridge inspection procedures statewide in light of preliminary bridge inspection findings on the #RooseveltBridge. To learn about this statewide initiative, go to https://t.co/0iKMrhcTqL. pic.twitter.com/kg8YlC7iGA
— FLORIDA DOT (@MyFDOT) July 2, 2020
The agency will also partner with the Federal Highway Administration, universities, and transportation peers nationwide in order to develop recommendations to be used for future inspections, according to a news release.
FDOT says segmental bridges are built in smaller sections, rather than large spans of bridge.
There are currently more than 12,400 bridges statewide. Less than 100 of them are segmental bridges.