Bob Sikes Bridge
Bob Sikes Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Bob Sikes Bridge viewed from Naval Live Oaks Reservation | |
| Coordinates | 30°20′53″N 87°09′13″W / 30.34815°N 87.15357°W[1] |
| Carries | 4 lanes of  CR 399 (Pensacola Beach Boulevard) |
| Crosses | Santa Rosa Sound |
| Locale | Escambia County, Florida |
| ID number | 480123 |
| Website | myescambia |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Girder[1] |
| Material | Prestressed concrete[1] |
| Total length | 3,645 feet (1,111 meters)[1] |
| Width | 33 feet (10 meters)[1] |
| No. of spans | 47[1] |
| Clearance below | 64.9 feet (19.8 meters)[1] |
| History | |
| Opened | 1974 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 27,500 (2022)[1] |
| Toll | $1.00[2] |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Bob Sikes Bridge | |
Bob Sikes Bridge (formally Robert L. F. Sikes Bridge and also known as Pensacola Beach Bridge) is a four-lane bridge in Escambia County, Florida. The bridge carries Pensacola Beach Boulevard (County Road 399) north–south across the Santa Rosa Sound, connecting Gulf Breeze on the Fairpoint Peninsula to Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island. The bridge is named for former U.S. Representative Bob Sikes.[3]
As of 2019[update], the bridge carries around 26,000 cars per day, for a total of around 9.4 million per year.[4][5]
Tolls
[edit]Southbound traffic on the bridge is tolled at a toll plaza south of the bridge. Northbound traffic is not tolled. As of May 2026[update], the bridge toll is $1 and is payable via toll-by-plate or a SunPass-compatible transponder. Annual passes are available at a cost of $5 for Pensacola Beach residents, $20 for the general public, or $70 for commercial vehicles.[2]
Toll revenue is used to pay for repairs to the bridge and improvements to Pensacola Beach infrastructure.[6] Revenue from the tolls generates around $3.1 million a year, making up roughly 1% of Escambia County's annual revenue.[7]
History
[edit]Bob Sikes Bridge was constructed in 1974[3] as a replacement for an older two-lane bridge. The original bridge was closed to through traffic and repurposed into a fishing pier.[8]
In 2002, the Escambia County Commission earmarked toll revenue from the bridge to pay for a widening of Via de Luna Drive, Pensacola Beach's main thoroughfare, through 2031.[3]
In 2017, Escambia County approved a $4 million project to extend the bridge's lifespan, originally set to end in 2024, by twelve years to 2036.[9] The extension would allow a planned replacement bridge to be built using toll revenue, which cannot be done until bonds for the Via de Luna project are paid off in 2031.[3] Construction for the project began in 2020.[9]
In Spring 2020, cash payments at the bridge were discontinued in favor of toll-by-plate.[10]
In September 2020, Hurricane Sally caused erosion damage to the bridge's southbound span. The span was closed to non-residents for three weeks.[11]
In 2025, Escambia County announced plans to demolish and replace the bridge's toll plaza.[12] Construction began in January 2026 and is scheduled to be completed in the summer.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h "NBI Structure Number: 480123". LTBP InfoBridge (National Bridge Inventory). Federal Highway Administration. 2025. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ a b "Get Your Pass to the Pensacola Beach Ball". Government of Escambia County, Florida. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ a b c d Little, Jim (August 30, 2017). "Increasing lifespan of Bob Sikes Bridge could cost extra $280 million". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ Dunwoody, Dave (June 24, 2019). "Bob Sikes Bridge Makeover to Begin In Late '19". WUWF. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ Sidrony, Katie; Kincaid, Benjamin (August 20, 2020). Bob Sikes Bridge Toll Plaza: Forensic Analysis Report and Supplementary Information (Report). Escambia County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. p. 6. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions About All‐Electronic Tolls at Bob Sikes Bridge to Pensacola Beach" (PDF). Government of Escambia County, Florida. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ Hussey, Laura (August 10, 2017). "Bob Sikes Bridge: Where does the money go?". WEAR-TV. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ "Bob Sikes Fishing Pier". Visit Pensacola. Government of Escambia County, Florida. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ^ a b Little, Jim (February 3, 2020). "Bob Sikes Bridge rehab starts Wednesday, prepare for lane closures and delays". Pensacola News Journal.
- ^ "All-electronic toll on Bob Sikes Bridge to Pensacola Beach begins this spring". WEAR-TV. February 20, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ Arnold, Madison (September 21, 2020). "5 mph speed limit on Bob Sikes Bridge needed to reduce vibrations after Sally". Pensacola News Journal.
- ^ Barrows, Mollye (September 5, 2025). "Pensacola Beach toll plaza to be demolished for new gateway. When work will begin". Pensacola News Journal.
- ^ "Construction for Pensacola Beach Gateway Improvements Project to begin in January 2026". WEAR-TV. December 19, 2025.