REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE NORMAN Y. MINETA
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION
ESCAMBIA BAY BRIDGE REOPENING
PENSACOLA, FLA.
OCTOBER 5, 2004
8:30 AM
Thank you, Governor Bush, and thank you for your tremendous leadership. It is a
real pleasure to be back in Florida, and especially to be able to share some
happy news with the people of this great state and this community.
At 6:30 this morning, the first span of the Escambia Bay Bridge reopened to
traffic. The scars of Hurricane Ivan are still visible, but today, the world can
see that Pensacola is, once again, a city on the move. Recent weeks have made us
all mindful of nature’s tremendous destructive force, from Mt. St. Helens in the
west to the four hurricanes that battered Florida’s coasts.
Hurricane Ivan hit the Panhandle particularly hard, and as it barreled its way
toward shore from the Gulf on September 15, Ivan severed a vital artery in our
national highway system, an artery which is critical to this state, and to this
community, and to its economy.
When President Bush came here, he pledged to make sure that the federal
government did everything in its power to help repair homes, roads, airports,
and lives. He directed me, and the rest of his team, to do all that we can to
help get things back to normal. We’re delivering on that promise.
The Bush Administration immediately made a $2 million down payment of emergency
funds toward repairs on the Escambia Bay Bridges. We’ve cleared roadblocks and
identified the latest in rapid construction materials and technology so that
Florida could reopen the bridge in 24 days, an ambitious timetable. Today, we
cross that milepost six days ahead of schedule!
Mary Peters, the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, and her
staff, have worked hand in hand with Secretary Abreu and the Florida Department
of Transportation to accomplish this impressive feat, and I congratulate you
all.
The work that has been done on this bridge is nothing short of miraculous. The
men and women of the construction and engineering firms who put I-10 back
together are a living tribute to the steely determination and resolve of a
community that is showing the world, once again, just how tough we Americans
are.
Two weeks ago, I came to Pensacola to inspect first-hand the damage from
Hurricane Ivan to Pensacola’s, and Florida’s, transportation infrastructure. I
was struck both by the tremendous devastation left by the storm, and by the
resilient spirit of the people of Pensacola. With the roads out, we traveled by
boat to this site to look at the bridge. It was, as you can imagine, a somber
trip. The task ahead appeared daunting.
Then, as we began our return, we discovered a school of dolphins over the ship’s
bow. Perhaps it was merely a coincidence, but it is well known that seafarers
consider dolphins a good omen, and so it has proven to be.
Anyone who remembers how this bridge looked after the hurricane must gaze in
wonder at this amazing transformation. Today, thanks to extraordinary
cooperation, determination, and hard work by Florida state employees and the
contractors, the I-10 bridge has been transformed from a symbol of Ivan’s
destruction to a symbol of Pensacola’s healing.
Congratulations on this impressive accomplishment, and we look forward to
continuing to be your partner on the road to a full and speedy recovery. Thank
you, and travel safely.
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Briefing
Room
