# Crane on barge just hit Brooks Bridge in Fort Walton...



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

The bridge should be closed for a while. I'll post pictures. 98 will be backed up to navarre by the end of the day....


----------



## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

*Brooks Bridge shut down*

*03/20/13 16:54:16* 
Brooks Bridge is *shut down. Around 3:30 pm this afternoon a barge carrying a crane struck the bridge. That's the bridge that connects Fort Walton Beach to Okaloosa Island.
Water lines that are attached to the bridge, were damaged in the accident and the lines are gushing water. Emergency responders are on the way to make sure no one was hurt in the crash and that the barge is not leaking fuel..


----------



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)




----------



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

The main water line to the island and possibly a gas line were destroyed along with the concrete barrier and cracks in the road. I bet anyone on the bridge crapped their britches when it hit.


----------



## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

Somebody's fired


----------



## Downtime2 (Sep 27, 2007)

Man! That's gonna be a mess!!


----------



## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

Nice.


----------



## jmunoz (Jan 11, 2012)

sure said:


> Somebody's fired


Lol got that right


----------



## hsiF deR (Oct 4, 2009)

Thanks for the heads up! I was about to head that way(Navarre). I aint about to play in that traffic jam!


----------



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

Crap. I have to go across it tomorrow mornng. I wonder how long it will be shut down.


----------



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

Close up of the damage


----------



## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

jspooney said:


> Crap. I have to go across it tomorrow mornng. I wonder how long it will be shut down.


The last time it was closed for almost a month while they looked for structural damage and made repairs. Hopefully not that bad this time. Last time hit the pilings not just the rail. You might want to call ahead so you can go mid bay bridge if necessary.


----------



## Cant.Git.Enuf (Jan 21, 2013)

Thats going to be an absolute nightmare!


----------



## jspooney (Oct 2, 2007)

Cant.Git.Enuf said:


> Thats going to be an absolute nightmare!


And the economic damage to Ft Walton Beach will be high.


----------



## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

It doesn't look like any serious structural damage from the picture but I'm not an engineer either....hope it doesn't take long to fix.....looks like I'll be using Liza Jackson for awhile.....


----------



## Waste-N-Away (May 20, 2009)

wow that's gonna suck, i agree it doesn't look like major structural damage, but im sure it will take a while to make sure.


----------



## dockmaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Someone just lost there CG Masters License....no excuse for not knowing the height of your tow and the clearance of the bridge that's marked.

billd


----------



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

From Sheriffs office....

*Reference the Brooks Bridge closure, the Coast Guard is shutting down the waterway about a half mile either side of the bridge. We do not have an arrival time for the arrival of bridge inspectors who are en route. They will determine when the bridge can be re-opened. Water and Sewer officials have also been notified reference what is either a ruptured water main or ruptured sewer main across the bridge.*


----------



## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

jspooney said:


> Crap. I have to go across it tomorrow mornng. I wonder how long it will be shut down.


*After Opal, the Highway 98 section on Okalossa Island road was shut down for a long time, traffic was diverted Highway 85 north at FWB, north through Niceville and then south on the Mid Bay to get to Destin. The tolls were taken off.*

*I suspect that will happen now.*

*Traffic Nightmare*


----------



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

hope it's water and not sewage.


----------



## Caddy Yakker (May 21, 2011)

I saw that big sucker go under the Navarre bridge earlier today.......thats gonna really suck!:thumbsup:


----------



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

Boat was part of Orion Marine Group named Richard Laquay


----------



## hsiF deR (Oct 4, 2009)

Awesome pics your getting BigRick!


----------



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

hsiF deR said:


> Awesome pics your getting BigRick!


 Remember , you heard it here first dun dun dun. 



Just kidding, I'm stealing them from facebook.


----------



## specktackler57 (May 15, 2011)

step into my office because your friggin fired.


----------



## southern yakker (Jun 25, 2012)

specktackler57 said:


> step into my office because your friggin fired.


:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


Glad I don't ever have to go that way or it would suck.


----------



## gameaholic (Oct 1, 2007)

midbay bridge is toll free right now


----------



## BananaTom (Feb 16, 2008)

gameaholic said:


> midbay bridge is toll free right now


*For the next 4 hours, as reported on the Destin Log*


----------



## Cant.Git.Enuf (Jan 21, 2013)

Would anyones boating insurance cover this??


----------



## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

The broken water line is made out of ductile iron and almost impossible to break b/c it flexes. From the pictures it was hit right at the flanged joint and the clevis hangers were broken. Must have been one hell of a hit..!!


----------



## gameaholic (Oct 1, 2007)

wesrbound lanes Are open


----------



## Comfortably Numb (Oct 1, 2007)

Thats not even close! He needed at least 6 more feet by the pics! My sailboat had an antenna broken by that bridge by the previous owner. The top of the mast is 47' above the waterline according to the specs. I believe the bridge is the lowest on the ICW in Florida, still cant believe they mis calculated that much.


----------



## H2OMARK (Oct 2, 2007)

Ocean Master said:


> The broken water line is made out of ductile iron and almost impossible to break b/c it flexes. From the pictures it was hit right at the flanged joint and the clevis hangers were broken. Must have been one hell of a hit..!!


Makes for a quick fix on the water line. Ductile pipe is fabbed up all over the country just laying around. If you look close, it appears as if there's about a 3" rigid conduit thats broken also. That'll take longer to fix if there's no J-Boxs along the way. Bad time for the island considering it's spring break and all.​


----------



## goheel (Feb 3, 2011)

Will they open the bridge tomorrow? I'm thinking about goin over there to fish.


----------



## 2RC's II (Feb 2, 2012)

whadda ya mean we don't have water in our $250 a night hotel room?


----------

