Before Longboat bridge work begins, workers must step up to bat

Before renovation work on the Longboat Pass drawbridge begins in May, the Florida Department of Transportation will have to account for bats that typically hang out under the span that connects the town with Bradenton Beach.

Project Manager Doug Schallmoser said no bats were present during a recent inspection, but there was evidence the animals had been roosting beneath the structure, which is not uncommon with bridges in the state. There are 13 species of bats that live in Florida and it is illegal to willfully kill one, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They are considered beneficial for the number of insects they eat.

Summer is prime mating season for the flying mammals, said James Jacobsen, a bridge engineer with FDOT, something Floridians also are barred by law from disturbing. 

So, in about a month, crews will drape special nets around the areas bats are likely to frequent. The nets are made for one-way travel, designed to keep bats away from work areas. If they’re already present, they’ll be allowed to remain, but the nets are designed to prevent new or returning bats from roosting.

“They will be able to leave, but they can’t come in,” he said.

FDOT officials were in Longboat’s Town Hall Feb. 26 to publicly discuss the $3.8 million renovation of the drawbridge, which is one of two ways off the island. The overhaul of the 62-year-old bridge is slated to begin once season ends in May and be completed around Thanksgiving. FDOT is expected to award the bridge-work contract within the month.

Schallmoser said most of the work on the 2,100-foot bridge will be done from a barge and mostly take place between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m., so one lane will be open to traffic at all times. Also, channel navigation should not be affected, said Schallmoser, adding the U.S. Coast Guard has approved the project.

Even though one lane will be open to traffic most of the time, there will be times when all lanes will have to be closed. Total closure will be no more than 15 minutes and will take place between the hours of 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. There will also be limited pedestrian access during the project.

“We will coordinate this with EMS and let them know 14 days in advance,” Schallmoser said.

Repairs to the bridge will give it another 10 to 15 years of life, FDOT officials have said. The overhaul of the structure includes repair of the bascule span steel, reconditioning the span’s machinery frame, drive system, span locks and electrical system, updating traffic signals, cleaning and painting the steel.

The bridge is considered safe. But because of the deterioration rates of structural, mechanical and electrical components of the bridge will increase because of where the bridge is located, this project was necessary, FDOT said.

FDOT will begin a study in 2020 to decide whether to do long-term repairs on the bridge, or replace it.