City of Milton Council Member Jimmy Messick, who serves as the council’s Transportation Planning Organization representative, revealed additional work on Marquis Bayou Bridge cost an additional $4 million dollars due to the requirements from local nonprofit organizations.
In Tuesday night’s regular council meeting, Messick presented fellow council members and attendees with information regarding the additional costs and time related to the preservation of the bridge, which was provided by Florida Department of Transportation representative Peggy Kelley.
With this information, Messick claims the redesign costs for the bridge of $850,000 and the increased construction costs of $3,700, 000 due to the redesign and relocation costing a total of $4,500,000.
“The initial estimated cost was $3.5 million and that the final estimated cost is $7.2 million,” Messick said. “That is a $4.5 million dollar increase, which is due to the changes asked for by the historical (society).”
The discussion regarding the cost of the Marquis Bayou Bridge, which crosses the Blackwater River, was brought up by Messick during last week’s executive committee meeting. Messick inquired about the cost and time spent on the bridge after reading a recently published article in the Santa Rosa Press Gazette. In the article, Santa Rosa County Commissioner Bob Cole stated he consulted with the historical society on preserving some of the historical significance of the bridge.
“I called Peggy Kelley… and asked for information concerning the additional costs and time related to the preservation of some of the historic nature of the original bridge,” Messick said. “While the public is served all the touchy feely information related to preserving the historic nature, I think you should also be furnished the cold hard facts about the costs related to it.”
Messick also quoted Kelley as saying both Main Street Milton and the Santa Rosa Historical Society “insisted that the railing of the old bridge be used or duplicated for the new bridge and that the new bridge use the same foot print of the old bridge.”
Messick also said a majority of the added cost came from constructing an acrow bridge for temporary use, next to the Marquis Bayou Bridge, in order to allow engineers to work on the bridge.
“That is what has increased the cost from $3.5 million to $7.2 million,” he said.
Messick also questioned Cole’s comment used in the same article stating Cole had heard the bridge would have to be rebuilt should the FDOT opt to four-lane U.S. Highway 90 through downtown Milton.
“That is not so, according to Ms. Kelley,” Messick said. “She has indicated that a sister bridge would be built next to the new bridge in the location that the per new bridge would have been built.”
Messick also stated the Highway 90 project involves the six-laning of U.S. 90 from Scenic Highway in Escambia County to Highway 87 North (Stewart Street) in Milton and four-laning from Milton from Highway 87 south.
Messick also shared Kelley’s insight on the widening of Highway 90 option.
“If the widening of Highway 90 in downtown Milton becomes the chosen route, that FDOT is willing to move the Fisher Hamilton building, rather than destroy it, and that none of the major historical buildings will be destroyed,” he said.
In addition to giving a brief update on the PD & E study, Messick also invited attendees to the corridor alternatives public meeting at the Santa Rosa County Auditorium on September 1 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Messick: Local nonprofits cause $4 million in additional bridge work