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Consultants, commissioners say city’s eight bridge repairs are finished, signage and small fixes remain
Summary
City consultants told the Lighthouse Point City Commission that structural repairs to eight bridges are complete aside from minor punch-list items; commissioners pressed for testing data and said Sample Road’s posted two-axle limit will change to 17 tons until a refined rating is complete.
City consultants working on Lighthouse Point’s bridge program told the City Commission on Oct. 8 that the contractor completed work on all eight bridges and that only minor punch‑list items remain.
"As of this past Friday, I'm here to tell you that all 8 bridges are complete, except for some minor checklist items that are, you know, some sign postings and a little bit of asphalt work," said Jerry Piccolo, introduced to the commission as part of the project team from the consultant firm working on the bridge program. The consultant presentation described concrete restoration, reinforcement splicing and added protective measures aimed at slowing saltwater-driven corrosion on reinforcements that had been exposed by deterioration.
The consultant explained the repairs focused on the worst-deteriorated elements rather than full replacement, using targeted concrete restoration and adding reinforcement splices where good rebar was found below the low-tide line. "We made sure we went down below the low tide line. We found good, strong rebar there," the consultant said, describing how piles were repaired and encased to restore strength.
Commissioners asked for testing and long-term projections. One commissioner pressed on the expected life of the existing steel and the basis for revised load ratings. The consultant said remaining life varies by the structure’s exposure to water and the observed condition of the piles and reinforcement; a refined, element-level analysis is pending. The Sample Road bridge was singled out: staff and the consultant said signage will be updated to reflect a 17‑ton limit for two-axle vehicles while longer, distributed loads (longer trucks) may carry more due to load distribution.
City staff said the revised signage will be installed within days and stressed the work bought time needed to complete design of full replacements where required. Commissioners complimented the contractor and consultant for communication during inspections, while also pressing staff to continue monitoring and coordinating state inspections and future replacement designs.
Provenance: The presentation and subsequent Q&A occurred during the bridge report and technical discussion introduced when staff brought project guests to the dais and continued through the consultant’s detailed remarks.
