Cortez Bridge replacement work set to begin in 2026

Manatee County Commissioner Tal Siddique described the Cortez Bridge replacement project as a “long-term benefit with short-term inconvenience” at a Longboat Key Republican Club meeting Wednesday.

Built in 1956, the two-lane drawbridge connects the Cortez community to the barrier island of Bradenton Beach, and the Florida Department of Transportation has recommended replacing the aging bridge.

The bridge is the best route off Longboat Key for those on the north-end of the island.

The project is in the design phase. FDOT’s website shows design will cost $6.7 million. 

Proposed to replace the nearly 70-year-old bridge is a fixed-span bridge with a 65-foot clearance. The expected cost is $135.3 million, said FDOT spokesperson David Scarpelli.

Image courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation

Conceptual renderings shared by FDOT show two traffic lanes buffered by 10-foot shoulders. A concrete traffic barrier will separate the roadway from the sidewalk, which will have blue metal railings with a wave design. There will be four overlook areas on the pedestrian area of the bridge.

FDOT spokesperson Jason Heironimus said that bids for the work should open on March 25, 2026.

“Construction is anticipated to begin in summer 2026 and take about 1,200 days to complete,” he said.

That’s about three years and four months.

During construction, the existing bridge will remain open to traffic as construction for the new bridge is just to the north. Siddique said the bridge will not close fully to vehicles, but there may be flagging operations at night while lane closures are necessary.

As the construction timeline fast approaches, Manatee County has been busy at work moving infrastructure to accommodate the beginning of construction of the new bridge. The water and sewer pipes affixed to the underside of the Cortez Bridge are being moved to the south side of the bridge. Construction will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Side streets on the south end of Cortez Road from 124th Street W. to Avenue A will be closed during the utility relocation project, which is expected to wrap up by next summer.

This story has been updated with a new estimated cost for the construction of the Cortez bridge.