MILTON — Replacement of a bridge on Sandy Forest Road — north of Charlie Foster Road — is now complete, according to officials with the Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center.
RBM Construction completed the project for $647,122.50, funded through a fixed capital outlay appropriation.
The original bridge was constructed with Army surplus “Treadway” steel deck panels from the World War II era and attached to wood caps and piles. The headwalls on both ends — and some of the bridge caps — needed repair. The bridge would have been completely dismantled to complete these repairs, so officials decided to replace the structure with a new concrete bridge.
Sandy Forest is a major artery in Blackwater River State Forest, providing access for residents, school buses, mail carriers, recreationalists, hunters and emergency personnel.
The bridge’s average daily traffic count is 70 vehicles per day, according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s inspection.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Blackwater’s Sandy Forest Road reopens