FDOT recommends 65-foot span to replace Cortez drawbridge

State officials are recommending a fixed span structure with a 65-foot clearance to replace the aging drawbridge between Bradenton Beach and Cortez, the Florida Department of Transportation said Monday.

Design is scheduled to begin this year, and right of way acquisition is funded in fiscal years 2020 and 2021. Construction costs of about $72 million have not yet been budgeted.

The decision is based on the results of a 2013 study that looked at a wide range of factors, including barrier island traffic. Longboat Key leaders have long lobbied for a fixed-span to replace the drawbridge to cut down on traffic backups that can stretch deep into the northern end of the island.

In a 2017 letter to FDOT, Longboat Key leaders said: “Other communities have seen high fixed-span bridges replace drawbridges with great success. For example, the city of Sarasota went from initially objecting to the higher fixed span bridge (during the planning process) to embracing it as a defining element of their city. The John Ringling Causeway is now considered an iconic landmark and is a prominent and celebrated component of the Sarasota landscape.”

At a community meeting held last summer, the consensus was that a 35-foot high drawbridge would serve the needs of motorists and boaters, and that a 65-foot-high span would a “monstrosity,’’ out of character with the fishing village communities nearby.

One of the options considered was to keep the low-rise drawbridge intact and continue to maintain its mechanism.

FDOT, in its news release, gave these advantages for the higher option:

• The new bridge will be constructed using modern materials capable of lasting beyond the 75-year design life requirement for new FDOT bridges.

• The initial construction cost, including design and construction saves approximately $23.9 million compared to a new mid-level drawbridge. Over the 75-year life of the bridge, the fixed bridge also saves approximately $11.2 million in operating and maintenance costs compared to the drawbridge.  The $35.1 million in savings can be used for additional improvements to the transportation system.

• Vehicles and boats will have improved traffic flow with a fixed bridge, which will eliminate congestion and delays exasperated by the bridge openings.

• The new bridge will be designed and constructed to modern standards that will improve the safety of the bridge and will include enhanced pedestrian and bicycle features, including two 10-foot sidewalks separated from the roadway by a traffic barrier, which will enhance safety and overall recreational opportunities.

• Bridge replacement provides the opportunity for improved aesthetics. An aesthetics committee, comprised of community representatives and officials, will be convened similar to the process currently ongoing for the Anna Maria Island Bridge Replacement Project on State Road 64.

• The fixed bridge creates an open space along the waterfront, under the Cortez Village approach, that could support a variety of pubic uses including park-like amenities such as landscaping, benches, bicycle or kayak rentals, play area, dog park, or event space that could feature sports or other activities.  It also provides an opportunity to connect the north and south sides of the Cortez Village Community with a roadway, sidewalks, and walkable public space under the new bridge where pedestrians will no longer have to compete with Cortez Road traffic.