New guardrails being installed on Apalachicola Bridge causeways

 The state of Florida is adding a guardrail to the causeways on the Apalachicola Bridge.

Work began recently on the project which will install a cable and post guardrail on the bridge between Eastpoint and Apalachicola.

A Company called CEI Construction was awarded the 760 thousand dollar project.

The guardrails will be installed on both the north and south sides of the bridge's two causeways.

It will be about 11 feet off of the roadway.

The county did not request the work, and aren't exactly happy that the project is being done.

According to Alan Pierce, the project was approved at the state level to meet the requirements of a law that was signed in 2016 known as Chloe's law.

Chloe’s Law requires the Florida Department of Transportation to add barriers to state roads adjacent to bodies of water in which a drowning death occurred between July 1st, 2006, and July 1st, 2016.

The barriers must be installed by by June 30, 2018.

County officials said that because the guardrails are so close to the road they will cause a tremendous change on how people use the causeway – which is popular for fishermen, castnetters and other people who want to get close to the water.

People also park in those areas for sunset viewing and sometimes to watch fireworks and other events on the waterfront.

http://live.oysterradio.com/