Gandy friendship trail bridge to be saved

[goindeep]

This was posted in the off topic forum, but lets put it here so more people see it...not many fishing reports lately anyway...lol

www.baynews9.com/content/36/2009/7/15/496508.html?title=Committee

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Committee votes to save Friendship Trail bridge

BAY AREA (Bay News 9) -- The Friendship Trail bridge oversight committee has voted to save the bridge.

The announcement was made following two public forums.

The committee recommended Wednesday night to repair the bridge for $15 million, meaning the bridge can be repaired to last about 10 years.

The committee's recommendation will be passed on to county commissioners.

They're hoping it can be paid for with federal stimulus money. The deadline to apply for that money is mid-September.

Other options the committee was considering included:

* For $10 million, the central hump could be demolished and each side repaired
* For $17.5 million, the bridge can be demolished and fishing piers built
* For $19.5 million, the bridge can be demolished and fishing piers could be built on the new Gandy Bridge when it's built

At a meeting Tuesday in Pinellas County, the majority of citizens who spoke told the committee they would like to see the bridge kept open.

The 2.5 mile span between Pinellas and Hillsborough counties closed last year after engineers determined it was not safe to use.

Since its closing, government officials and activists in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have been trying to come to a decision on what should happen to the bridge.

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While this is great news, why didnt the Skyway get a committee meeting and vote on whether or not to save it? Its 10 times better than the Gandy for fishing, and a state park no less. Is the Gandy bridge a state park? I dont know, but I doubt it.

[tylerdurden]

I was thinking the same thing GD, what about the skyway pier?

And for the most part the bridge is pretty useless. I used to bike across it but there was hardly anybody ever on it. But hey its free money anyways i guess.

[filletnrelease]

Keep in mind that the main force behind this was walkers, cyclists and skaters. I am afraid if only fishing were a concern the outcome may have been different. I could be wrong, but it just seems we are getting the bad end of the stick on everything else.

[goindeep]

Yeah Jack, after I posted that I figured that the friendship bridge gets more non-fishing traffic, and that probably was the whole reason...although the piers seem to get A LOT of tourists that sight see and take pics...I guess not enough though...

[havetofish]

What has been missing for the Skyway is an organized effort to do something. "The Friendship Trail bridge Oversight Committee" is just that, an organization brought together to do something. This is not over for the Gandy, just a recommendation for the Commisioners. They will also seek to make it a State Park, so that they can get future funding. The fact the Skyway is a State Park already doesn't help us.

[Floridaboy]

Jul 16, 2009 9:45:57 GMT -5 tylerdurden said:

But hey its free money anyways i guess.

There's no such thing a s "free money". Our great grandchildren will still be paying interest on this bailout mess long after we're gone. That's if China doesn't foreclose on the mortgage

[havetofish]

I guess what I am trying to say is that if Pinellas and Manatee Counties owned the Piers then we could have had an easier time getting someone to listen. Then again, the Piers may never have existed if it was not for the State.

Meanwhile a petition is just sitting and doing nothing.

[jab]

i love the gandy i think they should just get rid of the middle hump