FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                   

Contact:            Amy Davies, Lee County Department of Transportation, (941) 479-8589

SANIBEL CAUSEWAY CLOSURE AND REPAIRS UPDATE

FORT MYERS, Fla. (January 16, 2003) – The following is update information on the closure of the middle Sanibel Causeway Bridge this coming weekend:

FOR MEDIA

•       Photos and footage of the repairs can be taken by air, water (as long as boat doesn’t get too close) or at the barricades to the construction site on either side of the middle bridge.  The best viewing from land probably will be along the barricade closest to the first causeway island after the drawbridge (mainland side).

•       Paul Wingard, Deputy Transportation Director, will be at that staging area along the drawbridge side causeway island barricade from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday night to answer media questions.

•       Replacement beams and materials are expected to arrive by truck late Saturday night to the site.  For photos of the trucks actually arriving, you’d have to wait around Saturday night.  For photos of all the materials staged, Sunday morning would be better.

•       We’ll contact the media as soon as the bridge reopens if it reopens early.

FOR PUBLIC

•        Sanibel Causeway Bridge tolls will be suspended upon closure of the bridge at 10 p.m. Sunday, but will be reinstated once the repairs are done and bridge opens, even if that is earlier than anticipated 

•        There will be a Florida Highway Patrol officer stationed at the toll plaza to direct traffic.

•        County DOT will have a message board near the toll plaza explaining the causeway is closed.

•        After repairs, speed across the causeway bridges will return to 35 mph.

•        After repairs, as before, the POSTED WEIGHT LIMIT for the bridge is 34 TONS.