Skanska completes reconstruction of Florida’s Choctawhatchee Bay Bridge

Destin, Fla. — Skanska USA announced completion of the new 12,000-foot-long two-lane Choctawhatchee Bay Bridge (US 331) in Walton County, Fla., featuring a fishing pier, boat ramps, docks and a public park. The $118.5 million project for the Florida Department of Transportation consisted of designing and building a new two-lane bridge, which serves the northbound lanes over the Choctawhatchee Bay, while the existing Clyde B. Wells two-lane bridge now handles the southbound traffic only.

The 2.5-mile long bridge reconstruction project also included a 400-foot fishing pier, boat ramps, docks, and a public park with a panoramic view of the bay. The scope of work also required fender system replacement as well as other associated road work. Additionally, the team had limited periods of time to complete pile driving activity since there were fish windows, which are moratoriums set on pile driving to protect marine life and endangered species in the bay. Noise levels during the pile driving operation were also carefully monitored to protect the marine life surrounding the project.

“Our Skanska team worked with the utmost care to rebuild the US 331 bridge over Choctawhatchee Bay while taking the necessary measures to protect the marine life underneath the bridge structure,” said Jim Goyer, vice president of Florida operations for Skanska. “The reconstruction of the bridge expands the number of north and southbound lanes, providing better access, improving mobility and creating a safer driving experience for the local community.”

Currently, Skanska is leading two other major infrastructure projects in Florida including the $398.5 million redevelopment of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and the $2.3 billion public-private partnership project, I-4 Ultimate in Central Florida. The company also recently completed the $225 million reconstruction of Interstate 275 between SR-60 and Hillsborough River in Tampa.