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Meeting Held To Discuss Ways To Preserve Bridge

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By JAMIE PILARCZYK

jpilarczyk@tampatrib.com

Published: December 24, 2008

FAIR OAKS - Tom Bryan was making plans to celebrate the Friendship TrailBridge's 10th anniversary when he learned in early November that the popular recreational trail was closing because of structural problems.

He was shocked.

Bryan is president of the Friendship Trail Corp., which maintains and raises money for the former span of the Gandy Bridge that reopened as a recreational facility in December 1999. He said his jaw dropped when inspectors determined the structure's concrete beams had disintegrated and material had fallen into Tampa Bay.

Then he rallied.

"It's not over until it's over," said Bryan, of Bayside West.

Bryan was among about two dozen who attended a meeting Thursday night of Tampa Bay's Friends of the Friendship Trail & Bridge. They discussed how to preserve the bridge and rally additional support.

"We need more backup," said Carolyn Huffman, of Bel Mar Gardens. She suggested posting signs at the trail and planning monthly meetings to spread the word of the trail's predicament.
Huffman uses the trail for in-line skating and cycling. Others at the meeting were walkers and joggers, fishermen and fathers looking to keep a treasure for their kids.
Lila Stair and her husband, Ralph, recently moved to Tampa from Panama City.

"Part of the lure was the bridge," she said. "We unpacked our bags, and they closed the bridge."

Preliminary repair estimates range from $11 million to fix both ends of the structure, to $82 million to knock down the existing bridge and build a new one. A full report is expected at the end of the month.

"It's up to us to ask our government to do something," said Neil Cosentino, of Davis Islands.

He wants to make the bridge self-sustainable by turning it into a tourist destination, potentially charging people to use it. He also suggested placing solar cells along its 2.6-mile length and sell the energy they would generate. That's assuming, of course, the bridge will remain in place.

"If I thought they'd tear the bridge down, I wouldn't be here," said Cosentino.

The meeting ended with a promise for another gathering in January.

Reporter Jamie Pilarczyk can be reached at (813) 259-7661.

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