Bob Sikes Bridge
The Robert L. Sikes Bridge, also known locally as the Pensacola Beach bridge, is a toll bridge that runs between Gulf Breeze, Florida and Pensacola Beach. It carries four lanes of State Road 399 across Santa Rosa Sound.
As of June 2021, the cost of the toll is $1 per vehicle, plus a $2.50 surcharge per billing cycle when using toll-by plate. The administrative fee is waived for customers using SunPass, E-Pass, a NC Quick Pass, Peach Pass, or for tolling apps.
The Santa Rosa Island Authority also offers their own annual pass, which lets you pass an unlimited number of times for a one time annual fee.
History[edit]
The bridge, which is dedicated to the former congressman Bob Sikes, was opened in the Mid- 1970's, replacing the aging and narrow two-lane facility to the east of the current structures.
In 2020, work began on a $4.7 million rehabilitation and modernization project for the aging bridge, so keep the bridge sturdy for the remainder of its structural lifespan, as of June 1, 2021 to be estimated to be an additional 10-15 years. However, construction work continued into early 2021, due to effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, and effects of Hurricane Sally to the bridge.
In March 2020, the Santa Rosa Island Authority, the operator of the toll plaza, announced that they would be switching over to cashless tolls going forward. Previously, it was protested by residents of Pensacola Beach and Gulf Breeze, notably because of the administrative surcharge they would add every month, but there was no significant backlash when they implemented it in 2020.
