Now open: Fort Hamer Bridge

Manatee County officials today celebrated the opening of the Fort Hamer Bridge, which connects Fort Hamer Road in Parrish to Upper Manatee River Road in East County. The nearly mile-and-a-half-long bridge is the longest span to be designed and maintained by Manatee County.

The bridge has been a topic of discussion by county officials since 1909.

"This is truly a historic occasion," said Manatee County Commission Chairwoman Betsy Benac during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday morning. "The bridge will shorten commutes. This will be a reliever for (Interstate) 75."

The bridge opened to vehicular traffic around 11 a.m.

Along with faster routes for emergency responders, the bridge provides a new evacuation route for East Manatee residents and it will alleviate some traffic on U.S. 301, Interstate 75 and Rye Road, according to a release from the Manatee County government. The bridge had an early emergency opening ahead of Hurricane Irma last month before the official opening Wednesday.

A bridge over the Manatee River was first proposed by the County Commission on September 9, 1909. Due to opposition and funding, the proposal was dropped. It wasn’t until 1989 that another proposal to build the bridge was added to the county’s comprehensive plan. 

County commissioners broke ground to begin the project on March 19, 2015. The $32 million project was funded entirely through local dollars and includes the bridge as well as improvements to Upper Manatee River Road and Fort Hamer Road. 

The project also includes 5-foot sidewalks and 4-foot paved bike lanes.