NEW BAY BRIDGE CRACKS

At a news conference yesterday, the Florida Department of Transportation said thousands of cracks have been found in the concrete of the new Pensacola Bay Bridge. Inspection Program Director Brett Pielstick said as many as 1,300 cracks were found in just one concrete span during inspections. He said such cracks are not uncommon and are caused by several things including weather. He said the cracks are about the width of a credit card, but since the bridge is not being utilized by the public there is no safety issue. The first span is expected to be open for traffic on February 5th.