Fort Hamer Bridge opening delayed

A celebratory run across the Fort Hamer Bridge will still go on as planned Aug. 26, but the bridge itself will not actually open to traffic until Sept. 23.

Trudy Gerena, spokesperson for the project on behalf of Manatee County, said summer rains caused the delay.

“We had over 38 inches from June to mid July and Tropical Storm emily came through. It slowed down production,” she said.

Contractor Johnson Brothers Corp. still will need to install guardrails and handrails on a portion of the bridge, give texture to the decks and stripe the roadway, among other final tasks.