By Mary Thurwachter
To make sure the new Ocean Avenue bridge is operational by the end of November, the construction company charged with the job sought — and received — permission to work evenings until 11 p.m. through Oct. 31.
GLF Construction project manager Andres N. Sosa appeared at the Lantana Town Council’s July 22 meeting to make the pitch to extend hours Monday through Saturday, a variance to the noise ordinance. At the next meeting, on Aug. 12, he’ll be asking for work on Sundays to be authorized, too. He asked for Sunday hours at the July meeting, but hadn’t mentioned it in his earlier letter and councilmen said the request needed to be advertised ahead of time on the next agenda.
Sosa said that when his company signed the contract with the county in 2010, it was given 705 calendar days to complete the project. But between a 90-day delay in the actual closing of the bridge and 48 rain days, the work needed to be finished in less than 600 days.
Sosa, in a letter to the council, said that “all activities creating loud noise, such as pile driving, has either already been done or will be performed before 6 p.m.” This was not the first time this year the town gave its consent to night work on the bridge. In January, the town approved a request for construction work to be done as late as 11 p.m. weekdays until May 31.
The old bridge, open for 62 years, closed in March 2012. Construction on the $32 million span is 11 feet higher than its predecessor. It is expected to reduce by about 40 percent the number of times the drawbridge opens for boats.
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