Cortez Bridge may be replaced with this. Some residents aren't happy
When the Florida Department of Transportation notified Karen Bell on Monday morning that the Cortez Bridge would likely be replaced with a high flying, 65-foot bridge, she said, "They're probably going to have a fight on their hands."
Almost five years since a project development and environment (PD&E) study began, the results suggest that the best option to replace the historic bridge that links Cortez Road West to Bradenton Beach would be to build a $72 million bridge much like the Ringling Bridge in Sarasota.
Cortez residents have been outspoken against the largest of three options presented by the department to fix the nearly 60-year-old bridge. The other options included continued routine maintenance of the existing bridge until 2035 and construction of a new 35-foot drawbridge.
But the maintenance would just act as a bandage, as the bridge has had major repairs three times since 1996.
"Future repair projects would likely increase in scope, traffic disruptions and cost, and yet decrease in effectiveness due to continued deterioration of the bridge," a FDOT press release read.
As for the 35-foot drawbridge, which many Cortez residents said they would settle for, it would cost about $32 million more than the 65-foot clearance fixed span bridge over the course of its 75-year life, a standard that FDOT uses for its new bridges, according to FDOT spokesman Zachary Burch. A tall bridge also would be expected to have fewer environmental effects than a drawbridge.
The department said a higher, fixed-span bridge would improve traffic flow by allowing most boats to sail on through without stopping cars. It will also include 10-foot sidewalks for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Like the State Road 64 bridge to Anna Maria Island, currently in the design phase as a 65-foot bridge, the new Cortez bridge will also have an aesthetics committee.
"You can build any bridge you want to build," said Bobby Woodson, co-owner of the Tide Tables restaurant at the east foot of the existing bridge. But if the bridge still cuts down to two lanes by the time drivers reach Anna Maria Island from the mainland, "it's still going to bottleneck."
Woodson and Bell were concerned that the bridge may overshadow Tide Tables and other places in Cortez Village. Designs used to showcase the 65-foot bridge's features in public meetings showed a frontage lane that connects the north and south sides of Cortez and would allow for open space for amenities like kayak rentals, a dog park, play area or landscaping.
Jane von Hahmann, vice president of the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH), said she was "hugely disappointed" by the decision.
"We feel defeated because we weren't listened to," von Hahmann said. She felt as though Cortez was being "forgotten." About 165 people took part in a public meeting held in August, where many except for one person spoke out against the 65-foot bridge.
The PD&E study report won't be available for another month, Burch said. The design phase will start later this year, with the right-of-way phase scheduled for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. Construction for the project hasn't been funded yet.
"It's easy to accept something when you have no control over that decision," Woodson said. "It is what it is."
This story was originally published April 23, 2018 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Cortez Bridge may be replaced with this. Some residents aren't happy."