Sidney Lanier Bridge still months away, planners say

JEKYLL ISLAND - Planners say the new Sidney Lanier Bridge, a $110 million project already nearly 18 months behind schedule, will not open until September at the earliest. <br> <br> State Department of Transportation officials met this week with Recchi-GLF, a partnership of Italian firms that has been contracted to build the bridge, in hopes of speeding up the work. <br> <br> The 7,780-foot bridge, suspended by cable from two 480-foot towers, spans the Brunswick River to the Jekyll Island Causeway, providing key access from Brunswick south to the mainland. <br> <br> It is being built to replace a 43-year-old drawbridge with the same name that the Coast Guard has declared a navigation hazard. <br> <br> Completion was originally set for December 31, 2000. But bad weather and engineering problems have delayed the work, leading the DOT to fine Recchi-GLF $2,100 a day. <br> <br> The most recent target date for opening the bridge was July. But Recchi-GLF managing partner Enrique Espino told DOT officials this week the bridge would open some time after Labor Day. <br> <br> And DOT deputy commissioner Harold Linnenkohl said the work could take five to six months -- pushing the opening back to November or later. <br> <br> He said the tension on the huge cables on the cable-stayed bridge still must be adjusted, the cables must be wrapped with protective fabric and the concrete surface leveled for a smooth ride. <br> <br> The deputy commissioner also said it is clear to anyone that the bridge&#39;s concrete barriers and highway approaches aren&#39;t complete.