Daytona Beach, FL-The Volusia County Council officially broke ground for the new Tom Staed Veterans Memorial Bridge Thursday morning. The Orange Avenue bridge has been closed since June 6, as crews have begun the preparation process.
Volusia County Engineering Director Gerry Brinton said the old drawbridge, which is more than 60 years old, is worn out. The timeline for the construction is 32 months. Brinton said April 2019 seems far away but there is a lot of work to be done.
Once the old bridge is removed, hundreds of concrete pilings will be put 70 to 80 feet into the riverbed. The new bridge will have handicap accessibility, 8-foot sidewalks, fishing piers on both sides of the Halifax River, and plaques at 28 scenic overlooks commemorating conflicts in America’s military history.
Brinton said the Volusia County Council created an advisory board to involve the community before any planning began several years ago. The board was made up of veterans, fishermen and people that could speak to making the bridge handicapped accessible.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on the east side of the Orange Avenue Bridge at 9 A.M.
Brinton was a guest on Volusia Today on WNDB.
(Photos courtesy of Volusia County)
Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2016.
