FDOT rushes final meeting on Cortez Bridge

FDOT has been deceptive about the final Cortez Bridge meeting. The announcement came the first week of August for an Aug. 31 meeting. For months, various FDOT officials assured people who had made frequent, direct inquiries that it would not be held until late September or early October. FDOT misled folks so those who oppose a high bridge would be rushed to prepare. FDOT scheduled the meeting at a time when many residents are “up north.”

As an entity, FDOT hates bascule bridges. Convenience is FDOT’s concern, not destruction of environment and community nor public safety during high wind events. Think a high bridge will provide faster traffic flow? I have a chart from FDOT – you will save 3 whole minutes.

Defeated for many reasons by a grassroots group in the ’90s in a first attempt at a high bridge on Manatee Avenue, FDOT learned that public meetings, unfortunately, must be held and other agencies must be brought on board, as quietly as possible, to ramrod through high bridges on Manatee and Cortez.

At FDOT’s meeting, you will see expensive displays, officials and engineers. You can ask questions 1-1, but not in a public forum setting. FDOT balks at open, honest, challenging, opposing inquiry. Instead, attend the meeting at Cortez Fisherman’s Hall, 1:30 -3:30 Aug. 26, for the real bridge story.

This story was originally published August 19, 2017 at 2:30 PM with the headline "FDOT rushes final meeting on Cortez Bridge."