Public invited to Fort Hamer Bridge ribbon-cutting ceremony

Manatee County residents are invited to a ribbon-cutting event at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday for the Fort Hamer Bridge.

Those attending should plan to be at Fort Hamer Rowing Park, 1605 Fort Hamer Road, by 8 a.m. The bridge will not be open to traffic before the ceremony. Approach to the ceremony is from the north along Fort Hamer Road only.

The bridge is expected to open to traffic by 11 a.m., once the ceremony is completed and barricades have been removed.

Construction on the 2,318-foot bridge started March 19, 2015. The bridge opened briefly in September to accommodate evacuation and emergency traffic related to Hurricane Irma. Final construction on the bridge was completed after the hurricane.

The new bridge includes paved bike lanes, improved shoulders, a sidewalk, and turn lanes at the north and south approaches.

The bridge and associated improvements to its Fort Hamer Road and Upper Manatee River Road cost an estimated $32.69 million.

This story was originally published October 16, 2017 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Public invited to Fort Hamer Bridge ribbon-cutting ceremony."