Lee County held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $91 million Big Carlos Pass Bridge replacement bridge Thursday just down the road from the entrance to Lovers Key State Park. Commissioner Ray Sandelli hosted the event and Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt represented Fort Myers Beach.
Work on the bridge begins this Summer and is expected to take two years.
The bridge connects the south end of Fort Myers Beach to Lover’s Key on Estero Boulevard. The new bridge will be built on the south side of the old bridge, on the gulf side. Traffic will continue to flow regularly on the current bridge until the new bridge is completed. The new bridge has a lifespan of 75 years. The current bridge, built in 1965 had a 50-year lifespan, and is now on year 58.
When completed, the new fixed span bridge will have a 60-foot navigation clearance over Big Carlos Pass and will include one travel lane in each direction, bicycle lanes, a 6-foot-wide sidewalk along the north side of Estero Boulevard and a 10-foot shared use path along the south side of Estero Boulevard. The project also includes relocation of existing infrastructure for Lee County Utilities and Bonita Springs Utilities. A fishing pier is also being discussed.
The construction contract is with Superior Construction Co. Southeast. They are the company that also did the repairs on the Sanibel bridge when it was damaged after Hurricane Ian.
Read more about the project HERE.
The construction contract also includes creation of an offshore artificial reef using the old bridge.
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