Merrill Barber Bridge
Merrill P. Barber Bridge, built in 1995 by Odebrecht Contractors of Florida, Inc., is a concrete arch bridge that spans SR60 over the Indian River and Intracoastal Waterway in Indian River County, Florida.
The bridge has a total length of 3,834 feet (1,169 m) with a main span of 100 feet (30 m) and a 65 ft vertical clearance. The Florida Department of Transportation number is 880087.
History
The original connection to the barrier island was a curved wooden structure built on cabbage palm pilings and opened in 1920.
In 1951, the wooden bridge was replaced with a concrete bridge with a steel bascule span. This bridge was in constant state of disrepair and was removed, barged out to sea and sunk as an artificial reef.
The old steel bascule span was purchased by Disney and is now in Orlando at the Walt Disney World theme park.
The bridge is named for Merrill P. Barber, the mayor of Vero Beach from 1947 to 1949, and member of the Florida Senate from the 12th District from 1954 to 1958 and from the 29th District from 1963 to 1968.
Fact Sheet
Source: National Bridge Inventory. Information not verified; use at your own risk.
| Name: | SR-60 over ICWW |
| Structure number: | 880087 |
| Location: | 0.6Mi. W of SR-A1A |
| Purpose: | Carries highway and pedestrian walkway over waterway |
| Route classification: | Minor Arterial (Urban) [16] |
| Length of largest span: | 142.1 ft. [43.3 m] |
| Total length: | 3834.2 ft. [1168.6 m] |
| Roadway width between curbs: | 80.1 ft. [24.4 m] |
| Deck width edge-to-edge: | 99.1 ft. [30.2 m] |
| Vertical clearance below bridge: | 62.3 ft. [19.0 m] |
| Owner: | State Highway Agency [01] |
| Year built: | 1995 |
| Historic significance: | Bridge is not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places [5] |
| Design load: | MS 18+Mod / HS 20+Mod [6] |
| Number of main spans: | 27 |
| Main spans material: | Prestressed concrete continuous [6] |
| Main spans design: | Stringer/Multi-beam or girder [02] |
| Deck type: | Concrete Cast-in-Place [1] |
