Sharpes Ferry Bridge all fixed; Contractor pays for work

A truck is seen traveling over Sharpes Ferry Bridge in Ocala on Monday.

The Sharpes Ferry Bridge appears to be as good as new.

State transportation officials have announced that repairs to the retaining wall at the bridge were completed last week, and the bridge is fully open to traffic again.

A 250-foot-long section of a that wall at the span along County Road 314 collapsed after Tropical Storm Debby blew through Marion County in June 2012.

The piece that gave way was part of the roadway support on the approach to the bridge.

Taxpayers did not have to shell out any additional money for the repairs, Florida Department of Transportation officials said. The reconstruction was covered under the original contracts warranty.

According to FDOT officials, the Houston-based contractor, Orion Marine, rebuilt the retaining wall and also reinforced and strengthened all of the wall quadrants.

FDOT spokesman Steve Olson said the state did pay roughly $186,200 for inspectors and other managerial services on the project. But the agency has sent a letter to the contractor requesting reimbursement for that cost.

The incident occurred less than three months after the new, $8.2 million bridge had opened to traffic.

The new structure had replaced a narrower iron truss span that dated to the mid-1920s.

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Sharpes Ferry Bridge all fixed; Contractor pays for work