Plans set for 2019 overhaul of Longboat Pass Bridge

The Florida Department of Transportation is planning a $3.7 million overhaul of the Longboat Pass Bridge and will begin advertising for bids in February.

To mitigate traffic concerns, FDOT plans to begin work in early May, once peak travel season is over. The six-month project will largely be done between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. and there will be temporary bridge closures of 15 minutes between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. to move equipment.

There should also be no navigation delays, and the U.S. Coast Guard has approved the project, FDOT said.

Both Longboat Fire Rescue and town police said the repair work to the Manatee County span – which connects Longboat with Bradenton Beach - should not present any problems with emergency response times. The surrounding communities have been notified of the upcoming work as have local hospitals and air ambulance services, they said.

Tina Adams, a spokeswoman for Longboat Fire Rescue, said that depending on the severity of the case during the bridge repair project, a person may be transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital rather than Blake Medical Center. But if a person needs immediate medical attention, then an air ambulance would be summoned, she said.

“We’ll get on the radio and call one,” Adams said.

While the bridge has outlived its design life by 11 years, it is considered to be in fair condition, but is also functionally obsolete. The goal of giving the bridge a facelift is to give it another 10 usable years. A long-term solution is also being studied, FDOT said.

But the bridge, built in 1957 during the Eisenhower administration, needs a lot of work.

The drawbridge needs structural steel, and movable deck span repair, beam reinforcement and restoration, pole jacket and rip rap installation, as well as fender system repairs, and upgrades of bridge traffic signals. Repairs will also be made to the sidewalks and potholes on the deck will be filled in.

FDOT will offer the winning bidder an incentive of $160,000 to finish the project by Thanksgiving 2019.