Riviera Beach, Florida – April 17, 2017 – The Port of Palm Beach is pleased to welcome Johnson Bros. Corporation, a Southland Company, as a new client. Johnson Bros. is a nationwide leading Heavy Civil Marine contractor. They have completed numerous moveable bridges in Florida and look forward to a successful project in Palm Beach County.
In April 2016, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) awarded Johnson Bros. the Southern Boulevard Bridge Replacement Project. Connecting the City of West Palm Beach and the Town of Palm Beach, the bridges span the Intracoastal Waterway and Lake Worth Lagoon. After a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study analyzed various alternatives, the preferred bridge type for Southern Boulevard was finalized by the Federal Highway Administration in May of 2009. The current bascule bridge and tide relief bridge will be replaced. While the replacement bascule bridge is under construction, a temporary bridge will be built north of the existing bridge to allow continuity of traffic flow.
While procuring materials for the temporary bridge, Johnson Bros. sought out a solution on how to efficiently transport those to the project site.
“The Port of Palm Beach provides an efficient connection point between the building materials and the project site,” noted Blair J. Ciklin, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for the Port of Palm Beach District. Johnson Bros. loads one to two barges with construction equipment and fabrication components weekly at the Port. “It’s the least expensive way to connect land and sea. Traffic congestion is not impacted, as the need to move materials by trucks to the bridge is eliminated.”
Once utility owners move their lines beyond the construction zone, construction is scheduled to begin this month. Completion of the bridge construction is anticipated by late 2020, at an estimated cost of $93 million.
About Port of Palm Beach
Port of Palm Beach is a full-service, diversified port, offering cruise and cargo services to more than 30 onsite tenants and users. At 162 acres, the port’s efficiency is unparalleled, processing more than $7 billion in commodities, 2.5 million tons of cargo and 500,000 cruise passengers annually. As one of the largest employers in Palm Beach County, the Port of Palm Beach and its tenants employ more than 2,850 people. Through the contribution of more than $185 million in business revenue and $17.5 million in tenant-contributed state and local annual tax revenue, the Port of Palm Beach is one of the largest economic engines in South Florida. For more information, visit www.portofpalmbeach.com.
About Johnson Bros.
The history of Johnson Bros., as part of the Southland Holdings family, is one of many powerful companies joining together to create a multi-faceted force in construction. While we began in different places and at different times, as early as 1929, our component companies have always been noted for working harder and working smarter, while upholding a reputation for integrity and resourcefulness. Today, Southland Holdings is managed by people who don’t just have our companies on their resume, but in their blood. The next generation of several of our founders builds on their success and provides unwavering clarity and continuity of purpose. We are active in 42 U.S. states and two provinces in Canada, and have completed projects in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. We have successfully executed more than $9 billion of work, growing to more than 2,000 dedicated full-time employees, visit www.southlandholdings.com.