An Escambia County commissioner says bridges in the county need to be repaired, but there’s no money to do so.  

County Commissioner Doug Underhill says around 90 percent of the 100 bridges in Escambia County are rotting away and need to be repaired.

“The bottom line is, most of the bridges in Escambia County are getting to the end of their serviceable life,” Underhill said.

Underhill says one of the big issues is funding, the money is just not there. Underhill says Old Corry Field Road Bridge closed around four year ago due to flooding. They replaced that bridge, and now the replacement is at the end of its life. 

Misty Crutchfield travels that bridge every day and says it would be a huge headache for drivers if it closed.

“I think it would create a lot more traffic on Navy Blvd.,” Crutchfield said.

Underhill says some of the tax dollars we could be using on bridges, are going to other things like the bus system.

Underhill says one of the worst bridges is the Bob Sikes Bridge which goes over to Pensacola Beach.

Randall King uses the bridge all the time.

“All the tourism is on Pensacola Beach,” King said. “They charge a dollar to get over here. That’s a lot of dollars they get over the summer. I don’t know what they do with that.”

Underhill says the Bob Sikes Bridge will last no longer than ten more years.