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Gulf Guardian Award Winners 2007
Business Category - 3rd Place
| Company: | Tidewater Skanska Flatiron Constructors |  Click on the picture to view a larger size. |
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| Project Name: | I-10 Escambia Bay Bridge Replacement –Artificial Reef | ||
| Location: | Milton, Florida | ||
| Category: | Business |
During the planning stages for bridge construction in early 2005, Tidewater Skanska Flatiron Constructors realized they needed a way to dispose of approximately 100,000 tons of concrete debris, once the new bridge crossing over Escambia Bay was complete and the old bridge could come down. Rather than seek a land-side spot, where the material would likely be buried in a landfill, it was decided to seek authorization to utilize the concrete debris to create artificial reef habitats in the Gulf of Mexico. Followiong consultations with the Escambia County Reef Management Department to determine the optimal locations and sizes of the reefs to build in the waters off Pensacola, Florida, the site selected for disposal is known as West LAARS, located in a region of the Gulf approximately 10 miles south of Perdido Key and at a depth of approximately 100 feet. According to the Escambia County Marine Resources Division , they have been monitoring all of the reefs built to-date and have determined that fish will quickly populate these reefs, usually in a week or less. Due to the nature of the concrete, these reefs will withstand the effects of saltwater immersion.
