ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — After months of questioning and concerns about the status of the Bayou Grand Blvd Bridge, the city says the new target completion date is May 2024.
The project, which started last June, was supposed to be done by this December. But the contractor, AEB is behind schedule.
Neighbors are glad to finally have an update, however they are not happy that the construction will continue.
John Zurek has called the Tanglewood neighborhood home for 22 years.
“It’s a wonderful place to live,” he said.
Walking his dogs is one of the things he loves best about living there.
“I don’t know how we lucked into such paradise,” he said. “There’s really no traffic, but we got traffic problems.”
Zurek and his neighbors said the traffic problems started with the bridge construction.
“It’s very frustrating,” said Alan Sayler.
Neighbors said safety is a top issue for them. The two-lane bridge is the only way onto the little island. It’s been reduced to one lane and a narrow sidewalk.
The construction company put up barricades, warning signs, and even traffic lights. But, neighbors claim some are ignoring the traffic lights.
Sayler said he’s had a few close calls.
“All of a sudden, when we got the green light, someone is coming through, and then we gotta backup.”
Zurek has also had some close calls.
“I came very close to hitting a pedestrian, a cyclist, and I had a bicycle coming right at me,” he said. “Nothing [has] happened to me, but that can change at any moment.”
They are also worried about the safety of the bridge. Neighbors claim it's sinking, and there are more cracks and holes in it. We asked the city's director of Engineering Brjesh Prayman about the bridge's safety. He said they do routine inspections and if they find any issues they work to fix them immediately. We aksed if the bridge is safe right now.
"We have no information that we've come across so far that has made us alter from the path of understanding it is a safe construction zone and safe route," said Prayman.
The other issue for neighbors is the timetable. The city first said it would take two years to complete, and the projected completion time was December 2023.
“I’m looking at it, and I’m not in construction, but it’ll be a miracle if it’s done by then,” said Zurek.
We reached out to the city, but no one was available to go on camera Tuesday. However, officials said the project is behind schedule.
The city has reached out to the contractor to ask them if they “think they’ll make the deadline.” If the contractor doesn’t make the deadline, they could face a financial penalty from the city.
We also reached out to the contractor, AEB, but we have not heard back from them.
A representative for the city planned to meet with homeowners on Tuesday afternoon to give them an update on the project.
We will be speaking with the city’s director of engineering, Brejesh Prayman, on Wednesday morning to get an update as well.
