Glitches on the Bridge
Have you noticed something off-kilter as you head east over the Intracoastal on the newly renovated Hollywood Boulevard Bridge? Take a look at the hulking T-sign on which the green roadway directionals are mounted. It lists noticeably to the left (north). And then, look how the post is seated improperly in its mount. Is it any wonder the thing is leaning?
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Hollywood resident, Christian Mulack, who documented the problem with these photos, has notified the Florida Department of Transportation. FDOT, which has recently completed the year-long project of rehabilitating the bridge, notes that the leaning signpost is not a safety hazard and it may be 2009 before FDOT can fix the problem. Whether a safety hazard or not, this listing structure does detract from the boulevard gateway to Hollywood Beach. Could it be fixed by adjusting the mounting screws, Mr. Mulack wonders? Why not try this simple remedy now? If it works, we have saved some money.
In addition, the bridge renovation -- a joint project of the City of Hollywood, the Beach CRA, and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) -- was to include a brand new gatehouse tower on the north side of the street.
Mr. Mulack points out that the columns on this new tower are "leading up to nowhere." It is hard to believe that the placement of these classical columns in this manner reflects the CRA's design for the bridge.
He has also noticed that the two sides of the drawbridge do not meet when the bridge is down. As a result, FDOT installed a makeshift metal plate which clunks every time a vehicle passes over. He notes that the Dania Beach Boulevard bridge, by contrast, is properly constructed so that no metal plate causing a disturbing noise is required.
Mr. Mulack is concerned that the taxpayers not be required to pay extra to correct shoddy workmanship. If a job is poorly executed, the contractors involved should correct the problems. The taxpayers should not have to foot the additional cost to remedy these problems, unless the plans called for this result.
We owe our intrepid citizen inspector gratitude for his concern, and his willingness to take the time and effort to carefully note what is not right and then quietly seek redress from FDOT. (He has already made progress in that FDOT first claimed no responsibility for the leaning T-sign, but now says it can fix it in 2009.)
We urge the City of Hollywood and the Beach CRA to push their partner FDOT to make right what is not right with the bridge rehabilitation project.
