COQUINA BEACH – The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District One is conducting a Project Development and Environmental Study (PD&E) for the heavily-traveled and often congested SR 789 bridge from North Shore Road to the Coquina Beach Park entrance.
A public meeting was held at the Harbourside Ballroom in Longboat Key on Tuesday, March 16 to begin discussion and present material showcasing multiple options for the potential project.
FDOT officials made it clear that throughout the process they would consider a “no-build” option. If the “build” option were to be the result of the study, the project would move to the design phase, and construction plans would then be prepared.
Key factors that must be evaluated when deciding how, when, or if the project will move forward include safety needs, additional right-of-way, traffic performance, and environmental impacts the project could have on this very eco-sensitive area.
The project process has six main components:
Planning – Identifying local multi-modal goals.
PD&E Study – Documenting the need for the project, developing alternatives to meet needs, and evaluating social, natural, cultural and physical impacts.
Design – Conduct land surveys, prepare construction plans, and identify right-of-way requirements.
Right-of-Way – Acquiring right-of-way and providing relocation assistance.
Construction – Construction of the project, and inspection of construction materials.
Maintenance – Maintaining the facility throughout its design life.
The development and analysis phase of the project will take some time. After all impacts and alternatives are thoroughly analyzed, another tentative public meeting will be held in March 2022 to finalize the recommended alternative, followed by a tentative March 2023 public hearing to finalize engineering and environmental reports. If all goes as planned, Location and Design Concept Acceptance is slated for October 2023.
Funding is not yet secured for any phase of this project. Projected funding has been proposed as a four fiscal year program (2021-2025) beginning with the PD&E phase which is currently ongoing, followed by design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction phases which are currently not funded.
Updated Feb. 8, 2021 at 12:15 p.m. – CORTEZ – A new, high-rise Cortez Bridge is coming and it may be sooner than you think.
Florida Department of Transportation officials confirmed that construction on the bridge is now expected to begin during the FDOT’s 2026 fiscal year, which begins on July 1, 2025, and ends on June 30, 2026.
The existing drawbridge, built in 1956, will be replaced by a fixed-span bridge that provides 65 feet of vertical clearance below it. According to FDOT, the current drawbridge provides 17.5 feet of vertical clearance when the bridge is down.
FDOT announced its plans in 2018 to build a fixed-span bridge instead of rehabbing the existing bridge or building a new drawbridge, which would provide 35 feet of vertical clearance when the bridge is down.
During a Bradenton Beach Commission meeting on Jan. 21, Mayor John Chappie said he had learned the Cortez Bridge replacement project was now included in FDOT’s five-year work program.
“That kind of surprised me. I didn’t think it would happen for another 10 years,” Chappie said.
When contacted by email last week, FDOT Communications Specialist Brian Rick said the bridge construction project will be awarded to a contractor at some point during the second half of 2025, with construction of a new bridge to begin several months later. Rick said construction will start during FDOT’s 2026 fiscal year and funding for the state project is expected to be in place at that time.
He noted the anticipated bridge replacement project cost originally was $66.5 million.
“As a caveat, $66.5 million is the present-day cost, but with inflation, it will be $76 million by 2026,” Rick said in an email.
Rick said FDOT plans to submit its Phase II bridge construction design plans sometime around August.
The bridge replacement timetable was referenced in the presentation that L.K. Nandam, district secretary for District One of the Florida Department of Transportation, provided during the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce’s quarterly State of Community series event on Jan. 27.
Nandam’s virtual presentation also said the Cortez Bridge project would start during FDOT’s 2026 fiscal year. His presentation noted that the Anna Maria Bridge on Manatee Avenue, which is also a drawbridge, is currently slated for replacement between fiscal years 2027 and 2032.
Bridge aesthetics
The Cortez Bridge replacement project was discussed at the FDOT Bridge Aesthetics Committee’s virtual meeting on Jan. 20.
This 2018 FDOT rendering illustrates what the bridge landing area in Bradenton Beach will look like. – FDOT | Submitted
According to a Jan. 28 committee meeting summary prepared by Laura Turner, of Laura Turner Planning Services, “The Florida Department of Transportation has begun design plans for the Cortez Road bridge replacement.”
The Bridge Aesthetics Committee allows local citizens to participate in the design process.
Cortez resident and Bradenton Beach property owner Connie Morrow, Jeff Vey, of the Bridgeport condominiums in Bradenton Beach, and Ann Marie Nicholas, owner of the Room with a Hue retail business in Bradenton Beach, participated in the Jan. 20 committee meeting.
They were joined by Turner, FDOT Transportation Manager Roxann Lake, FDOT staff member Kaylene Johnson, consulting project manager Doug Hershey, and Adrian Moon from the WSP transportation and infrastructure services firm.
Chappie is a committee member but he was unable to attend the recent meeting, as were fellow members Joe Rodgers, Karen Bell, Mike Bazzy and Joe Adoma.
The design and aesthetics of the bridge pillars were discussed during the recent committee meeting. Pillar design options range from two or three thin concrete pillars with simple design lines to thicker pillars that feature brick surfaces and double arches. The meeting summary does not indicate that any final decision was made regarding pillar design.
Continued opposition
FDOT is moving forward with its bridge replacement plans despite continued public opposition and a 2019 legal challenge by former Manatee County Commissioner Joe McClash, former Manatee County Commissioner and Cortez resident Jane von Hahmann, Cortez residents Linda Molto and Joe Kane, the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage, the Cortez Historical Society and the ManaSota-88 organization.
In that 2019 challenge, the fixed-span opponents filed a petition that named FDOT as the respondent. The petition stated that all of the petitioners would have their substantial interests negatively affected by replacing the existing drawbridge with a higher, fixed-span bridge.
This 2018 FDOT rendering includes an auxiliary ramp that provides access to the businesses and residences on and around 127th Street West. – FDOT | Submitted
The petition claimed that the tall bridge would negatively impact the maritime culture and fishing industry in the historic village of Cortez. It also stated a fixed-span bridge would impact environmental, aesthetic, cultural and natural resources and the use of the navigational waters near the Cortez Bridge for vessels whose masts or superstructures exceed 60 feet.
The petitioners asserted the proposed replacement bridge would negatively impact the quality of life, environment, financial well-being, mobility and preservation of Cortez. They also said a fixed-span bridge would create dangerous intersections at offsetting streets and pedestrian crossing areas, while also increasing noise, dividing the community with a wall-like structure and changing the overall aesthetics of Cortez.
These and other opponents of the 65-foot vertical clearance bridge have repeatedly expressed support for a new drawbridge that offers 35 feet of vertical clearance.
FDOT dismisses objections
On April 23, 2018, FDOT issued a press release regarding its bridge design decision.
“A fixed bridge is resoundingly the best financial investment for taxpayers. The initial construction cost, including design and construction, saves approximately $23.9 million compared to a new mid-level drawbridge. Over the 75-year life of the bridge, the fixed bridge also saves approximately $11.2 million in operating and maintenance costs compared to the drawbridge.
The Cortez Bridge drawbridge was built in 1956. – Joe Hendricks | Sun
“The new bridge will be designed and constructed to modern standards that will improve the safety of the bridge and will include enhanced pedestrian and bicycle features, including two 10-foot sidewalks separated from the roadway by a traffic barrier which will enhance safety and overall recreational opportunities,” according to the press release.
In 2018 FDOT released a series of renderings that illustrated what the new bridge and bridge approach areas were expected to look like. One rendering showed an auxiliary ramp coming off of Cortez Road that would provide access to the businesses and residences on and around 127th Street West, including Tide Tables, Annie’s Back & Tackle, the Seafood Shack and more.
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