As part of TranSystems’ already established Structures Emergency Response contract with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 1/District 7, the team was immediately tasked with missions requested by local Emergency Operations Centers on behalf of local agencies following landfall of Hurricane Ian on September 28, 2022.
TranSystems assembled more than 12 two-person teams on subsequent days – Teams consisted of bridge inspectors and engineers and CEI and roadway staff from TranSystems’ Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa, and Orlando offices.
The TranSystems teams inspected over 250 structures across a 3,000-square-mile area spanning from Sarasota to Fort Myers and inland areas, in Lee, Charlotte, Sarasota, DeSoto, and Hardee Counties. One project in particular that needed immediate attention was the Sanibel Causeway in Southwest Florida. It spans San Carlos Bay, connecting Sanibel Island with the Florida mainland in Punta Rassa. The causeway consists of three separate two-lane bridge spans, and two man-made causeway islands between them.
TranSystems mobilized our drone team to be on-site within 36 hours to fly inaccessible and distant portions of the high-level Sanibel Causeway bridges to identify storm damage. The team also mobilized an underwater inspection crew to document scour at the three Sanibel Causeway bridges.
