The Anna Maria Island Bridge was completed in 1957, and construction on a new bridge is set to begin in four years. Drivers said it can’t come soon enough.
The bridge was closed to eastbound traffic on Aug. 28 but re-opened the next morning following emergency repairs.
“There’s a high volume of traffic, mixed with saltwater and extreme weather conditions and this particular area is located over the seawall, so some of that mixture caused corrosion of the concrete on that deck on the bridge,” said Janella Newsome, FDOT director of public information in district 1.
Newsome said heavy rainfall caused the hole in a section of the concrete that was repaired in June 2022. Chief meteorologist Jeff Berardelli said it’s been the rainiest summer on record!
“We’ve had 60 inches of rain so far this season,” Berardelli said. “So far last year this time, we had only had 21 inches of rain, so we’ve had triple that amount of rain and in fact the whole year. We should only see 50 inches of rain in Bradenton so we’re already 10 inches ahead of the whole year’s total, and we still have a few months to go.”
It’s not just the rain that FDOT is concerned about. Crews took samples of the concrete to determine how much salt water had been absorbed.
“We’re stepping up our reviewing of the bridge, monitoring of the bridge, not only monthly and weekly as well, especially since we’re in hurricane season,” Newsome said.
Newsome said the last inspection on the Anna Maria Island Bridge was in March. Crews will monitor the 67-year-old bridge until its replacement begins in four years. The project is not funded yet. It’s estimated to cost $138 million.
FDOT said the project involves replacing the existing bridge with a high-level fixed bridge much like the planned Cortez bridge. It will be built about 14 feet to the south of the existing bridge and provide about 65 feet of vertical navigational clearance.
“FDOT anticipates the maximum height at the surface of the roadway will be approximately 74 feet, and the bridge will consist of two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction with 11-foot shoulders for emergency vehicles to pass and 10-foot sidewalks on each side of the bridge,” Newsome said.
The bridge will be approximately 3150 feet long as compared to the existing bridge which is 3123 feet. Newsome said crews are expected to complete its project development and environmental study in 2026 with plans to begin construction in 2029.
“We want to reassure the public that the Anna Maria Island Bridge is safe and structurally sound following the recent repairs,” Newsome said.
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