Bridge named for Korean War vet
Though commonly referred to as the Veterans Memorial Bridge , the official name of Daytona Beach ’ s newest bridge is the Tom Staed Veterans Memorial Bridge .
Staed , a Marine Corp . veteran of the Korean War and long-time Daytona Beach hotelier , died in 2013 .
But on the deck of the Veterans Memorial Bridge , the scenic overlooks and decorative railings and lighting fixtures prevented use of the Snooper truck . So , instead , construction barges outfitted with portable “ man-lifts ” were used to provide access to the underside of the deck , superstructure , and substructure .
The presence of the barges resulted in intermittent closures of the Halifax River ’ s main channel to boat traffic while the central main span of the bridge was being inspected .
“ We never completely shut down river traffic ,” Maslyn said . “ It was more like managing traffic during a roadway construction project , where part of the route remains open for use .”
The underwater inspection included examining 250 concrete pilings , some more than 100 feet long , that were driven into the riverbed , as well as pier footings , navigation fenders and aids , and examination of the channel bottom .
Bridge passes inspection
Virgil Rook , senior project engineer with CDM Smith , the Orlando-based firm hired by Volusia County to serve as construction manager for the project , said construction of the bridge “ went slower
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