Garcon point bridge
Encyclopedia
The Garcon Point Bridge is a 2-lane toll bridge
in Santa Rosa County, in the Florida
panhandle
. The bridge generally runs north - south and connects U.S. Route 98 east of Gulf Breeze, Florida
to Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 90 west of Milton, Florida
. The road and bridge uses the TOLL 281 shield on signage from US 98 to I-10. North of I-10 the road is signed solely as State Road 281. Exit signs on I-10 display both the State Road 281
and TOLL 281 shields. The bridge crosses East Bay, a large section of Pensacola Bay
and serves as an evacuation route during a hurricane watch.
In 1996, URS Greiner Woodward Clyde, a consulting firm, made traffic counts based on figures that the Garcon Point Bridge would lead to Destin
, a popular beach resort instead of the subdivisions that it actually connects. This resulted in 3500 vehicles a day crossing the bridge in 2000, far from the 7500 that URS projected. In 2000, Arthur Goldberg, the URS vice president who wrote the estimates for the Garcon Point Bridge, told the St. Petersburg Times, "We now know that [we were wrong about the estimates]. I don't think the Garcon Point Bridge will ever get back to the forecast we made for it in 1996."
Odebrecht-Metric, the construction company who built the bridge, illegally dumped construction waste during the project, resulting in a $4 million fine for the company for violating the federal Clean Water Act. Three supervisors plead guilty and paid $1,000 in fines and served a probation.
electronic toll system. As of July, 2007, the one-way toll for a 2-axle vehicle was $3.50. SunPass users that cross the bridge 30 times per month receive a credit for 50% of toll cost. In 2010, it was announced that the toll of the bridge may have to be raised to $4 due to the inability of the bridge to pay off its increasing debt.
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
in Santa Rosa County, in the Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
panhandle
Panhandle
A panhandle is an informal geographic term for an elongated arm-like protrusion of a geo-political entity, such as a subnational entity or a sovereign state.-Term:...
. The bridge generally runs north - south and connects U.S. Route 98 east of Gulf Breeze, Florida
Gulf Breeze, Florida
Gulf Breeze is a city located on the Fairpoint Peninsula in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States and is a suburb of Pensacola which lies to the north, across Pensacola Bay. The population was 5,665 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,455. ...
to Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 90 west of Milton, Florida
Milton, Florida
Milton , or Milltown, because Milton had the largest mill around) is a city in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States. The city was incorporated in 1844 and is home to Naval Air Station Whiting Field. The population was 7,045 at the 2000 census. In 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
. The road and bridge uses the TOLL 281 shield on signage from US 98 to I-10. North of I-10 the road is signed solely as State Road 281. Exit signs on I-10 display both the State Road 281
Florida State Road 281
State Road 281, known locally as Avalon Boulevard, is a north–south highway in Santa Rosa County, Florida. It runs from U.S. Highway 98 east of Gulf Breeze north to U.S. Highway 90 just west of Milton...
and TOLL 281 shields. The bridge crosses East Bay, a large section of Pensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay
Pensacola Bay is a bay located in the northwestern part of Florida, United States, known as the Florida Panhandle.The bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico, is located in Escambia County and Santa Rosa County, adjacent to the city of Pensacola, Florida, and is about 13 miles long and 2.5 miles ...
and serves as an evacuation route during a hurricane watch.
History
Due to the reputation of being a pet project of former Florida House Speaker Bolley "Bo" Johnson, D-Milton, who later went to federal prison for tax evasion, the bridge project was nicknamed "Bo's Bridge". It was completed in 1999 and in 2000, the Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority asked for an $500,000 loan from the state despite having to delay paying back previous multi million dollar loans from the state. The loan was later denied in 2001.In 1996, URS Greiner Woodward Clyde, a consulting firm, made traffic counts based on figures that the Garcon Point Bridge would lead to Destin
Destin, Florida
Destin is a city located in Okaloosa County, Florida. It is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.Located on Florida's Emerald Coast, Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald green waters...
, a popular beach resort instead of the subdivisions that it actually connects. This resulted in 3500 vehicles a day crossing the bridge in 2000, far from the 7500 that URS projected. In 2000, Arthur Goldberg, the URS vice president who wrote the estimates for the Garcon Point Bridge, told the St. Petersburg Times, "We now know that [we were wrong about the estimates]. I don't think the Garcon Point Bridge will ever get back to the forecast we made for it in 1996."
Odebrecht-Metric, the construction company who built the bridge, illegally dumped construction waste during the project, resulting in a $4 million fine for the company for violating the federal Clean Water Act. Three supervisors plead guilty and paid $1,000 in fines and served a probation.
Tolls
There is one toll plaza at the north end of the bridge. Tolls may be paid with cash or with the SunPassSunPass
SunPass is an electronic toll collection system in use by the State of Florida and was originally created by the Florida Department of Transportation's Florida's Turnpike...
electronic toll system. As of July, 2007, the one-way toll for a 2-axle vehicle was $3.50. SunPass users that cross the bridge 30 times per month receive a credit for 50% of toll cost. In 2010, it was announced that the toll of the bridge may have to be raised to $4 due to the inability of the bridge to pay off its increasing debt.