Traffic delays to Anna Maria Island to return when bridge repairs restart. What to know
Drivers to and from Anna Maria Island can expect traffic delays in early September as work to repair and relocate a water main along the Manatee Avenue Bridge is set to resume.
Starting Wednesday, Sept. 6, the bridge will see daily lane closures between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. as well as periods of one-way traffic, Manatee County Government said in a press release Wednesday.
The repair project first began when the water main, which provides potable water to Anna Maria Island, fell into Anna Maria Sound on June 20 after it collapsed from hangers under the bridge.
The county then began repairs on the pipe on June 26 and completed the first phase in the first week of July.
Repairs are now in the final phase, which will involve the installation of additional hangers to support the pipe on the east side of the bridge.
The county said the work cannot be done at night due to safety concerns.
They estimate that securing the pipe will take between two to three weeks, but specific information on any future closures will be provided as needed.
Those wishing to avoid one-way traffic lanes at the north end of the island can find alternate routes via the Cortez Bridge or the John Ringling Bridge in Sarasota.
