FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amy Davies, Lee County Department of Transportation
              (239) 479-8589

LEE TO ALTER DRAWBRIDGE OPENINGS DURING PEAK TOURIST SEASON

FORT MYERS, Fla. (March 7, 2003) - Tentatively scheduled to start Mar. 17 (Monday), the Sanibel Causeway Drawbridge will open only hourly - instead of every half hour - on demand from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, until April 18.

Lee County's Department of Transportation received permission from the U.S. Coast Guard to alter the schedule due to the speed restriction in place on the Sanibel Causeway and its bridges. This will allow more traffic across during rush hour. The change will be final for the five-week period once it is published in the federal register.

The change is only for weekdays. On weekends and federal holidays, the bridge will continue to be opened every ¼-hour, on demand.

In addition, from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., the bridge is raised on demand, regardless of intervals. From 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., the ½-hour rule (on demand) will be in place. That means if during those times the bridge hasn't been raised for several hours and a boater approaches at 12:40 p.m., the boater would have to wait until 1 p.m. to pass through. If the boater were to approach the span at 12:40 a.m., the span would be raised immediately.

The county received permission in July to go from a ¼-hour to ½-hour rule during the day.

The only exceptions to these rules are vehicles in distress or tugs pushing a tow. The revised schedule will remain in place during peak tourist season until April 18. The Coast Guard is not granting a permanent revision to the schedule.

The county is encouraging those with questions about the speed and weight restrictions on the Sanibel Causeway to call a hotline it has set-up - 335-2852.