Will the new Cortez Bridge be a high-rise? Here’s how to comment on the plan
Replacement plans for the 67-year-old Cortez Bridge are set to come front and center this month during a Florida Department of Transportation public information meeting on Jan. 31.
Although there won’t be a formal presentation, FDOT staff will be on hand to answer questions on bridge details and aesthetics, construction phasing and maintenance of traffic.
In 2019, FDOT announced that it planned to replace the aging drawbridge with a 65 foot-high fixed bridge. FDOT cited a 204-page engineering report that concluded that the bridge needed to be replaced because of structural and functional deficiencies.
FDOT officials said its priorities were safety, cost and walkability. A 35-foot drawbridge alternative would have cost nearly $24 million more than the 65-foot fixed bridge.
Previously, FDOT officials have said the majority of survey respondents supported the 65-foot bridge, which would allow most boats in the area to sail under it. The alternative, a 35-foot drawbridge, would have allowed only about 33% of boats to pass without opening the drawbridge.
It was unclear Tuesday what the replacement cost would be for a 65-foot high fixed bridge. The project website lists a cost of $6.7 million, but actual costs are expected to be higher.
The most recent bridge project in Manatee County — the two-lane Fort Hamer Bridge, connecting Parrish with Lakewood Ranch and other points south — cost $33 million when completed in 2017. The project also included improvements to Fort Hamer Road and Upper Manatee River Road.
Also unclear is the timetable for start or completion of the project — to be constructed north of the existing bridge — although design completion is forecast for spring 2025.
Eminent domain
FDOT still doesn’t have all the right of way that it needs for the Cortez Bridge project, extending from Gulf Drive on Anna Maria Island to 123rd Street West on the mainland.
The state will have to use eminent domain to acquire the property it needs for right of way and that will be very expensive, said former county commissioner Carol Whitmore.
Eminent domain allows government to seize private property while paying appropriate compensation.
FDOT is sending notices to property owners located a minimum of 300 feet on either side of the roadway within the project limits.
Mainland and island residents have previously expressed concerns about how a 65-foot bridge would mar the traditional character of the area.
Former county commissioner Joe McClash cited those concerns in a 2019 petition seeking to overturn the FDOT’s commitment to a 65-foot bridge.
But Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault dismissed the petition in December 2019.
“This ruling defies logic, and most of all, allows a state agency to dictate to our community the type of mega-bridge or other road projects without recourse provided by our state’s rules,” McClash told the Herald in a 2019 email.
How to comment on the proposal
The hybrid meeting (live in-person and online) is set for 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church in Pfrangle Hall, 6101 Cortez Road W., Bradenton.
The in-person meeting will be an open house. Members of the public are invited to drop by to review project materials at their own pace and to ask the project team questions.
The public can also review the same meeting materials and provide comments online Jan. 24 through Feb. 10 at the project website, www.swflroads.com/project/430204-2.
Attending both meetings is not necessary as the same information will be presented at both the live in-person venue and online.
Comments or questions may be submitted either on the project website or to the FDOT Project Manager, Ryan Weeks, at 864-519‐2837 or ryan.weeks@dot.state.fl.us.
While comments about the project are accepted at any time, comments should be submitted by Feb. 10, to be included in the meeting summary.
Bridge Aesthetics Committee
FDOT also formed a committee of community representatives from Cortez and Bradenton Beach to provide input on how the bridge will look:
- Joe Adorna - Cortez Park
- Mike Bazzy - Bradenton Beach Marina
- Karen Bell - Tide Tables
- Mayor John Chappie - Bradenton Beach
- David Galuska
- Connie Morrow - Runaway Bay & Mariners Cove
- Ann Marie Nichols - Room with a Hue
- Joe Rogers - Seafood Shack
- Jeff Vey - Bridgeport Condos
- Gloria Weir - Cortez Park
- Bobby Woodsen - Tide Tables
This story was originally published January 18, 2023 at 5:50 AM.
