ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — From Palm Harbor to South St. Petersburg, $15+ million in projects to replace several bridges in Pinellas County are facing uncertain futures and causing headaches for those who live nearby.
While the projects are being overseen by different municipalities, they all share a common link with the contractor hired to do the job, Miami-based American Empire Builders.
The Crosswinds Bridge in Palm Harbor (Pinellas County), the Oakwood Drive Bridge in Harbor Bluffs (Pinellas County), the Tanglewood/Bayou Grande Boulevard Bridge in St. Petersburg’s Shore Acres neighborhood and the 9th Street S/MLK Jr. St. Bridge (FDOT) have all been delayed for months.
The latter in St. Pete has been under construction since 2021 and was scheduled to be completed last year. In a statement, FDOT, which is overseeing the project, says they are working with the contractor and their surety company on a recovery plan to complete the project.
“We will keep you posted on the project schedule," FDOT said.
Just up the road in St. Pete’s Shore Acres neighborhood, the city is also working to find a way forward for the Tanglewood/Bayou Grande Boulevard Bridge replacement.
“We have not seen activity on the bridge for over two months,” Candace Westerberg, who lives nearby, said. “I believe for about 200 homes in the area, this is our only way in and out.”
“Our Engineering Director and legal team are actively engaged in discussions to address the contractor’s failure to complete work on time,” City of St. Petersburg Public Information Officer Erica Riggins said in a statement.
According to the city, the $3.6 million project is halfway complete, but the contractor missed the deadline for final completion. The city has cited AEB for delays several times.
On Jan. 19, “The city issued a Notice of Default to the contractor. The Notice of Default confirmed that the contractor has failed to complete the project on schedule and that the City will be sending the surety bond company a Demand for Performance,” Riggins said.
“The city has been coordinating with other qualified contractors that the surety bond company may be able to use to complete the Project,” she added.
“We understood from the get-go that there was going to be some pain as there is whenever you do anything like this kind of project, but when you don't see progress then the frustration sets in,” Westerberg added.
Frustration has also set in for neighbors near delayed work in Harbor Bluffs and Palm Harbor. Two other multi-million dollar bridge projects, where the AEB was awarded the bid to build.
“I don't even know where to start it's been such a long ordeal,” Tony Pidde, who lives right on the unfinished Crosswinds Bridge, said.
“This is the most use of the driveway I’ve had [in two years]. Usually, there was a huge crane blocking half of it,” Pidde added, saying he even had a lien placed on his home for the same crane for unpaid rental equipment dropped off in front of his house. He’s working with the county to get it cleared.
Meantime, Pinellas County commissioners will consider firing AEB and terminating their two contracts at their board meeting next week.
According to documents, county staff would then complete work on the Crosswinds Bridge, but an engineering reassessment and a bid process would be needed to complete work on Oakwood Drive.
10 Tampa Bay reached out to AEB and has not yet heard back.