PRESS RELEASE
Release
Date: May 15, 2003
Lee County Department of Transportation
1500 Monroe Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901
239-479-8589
Fort Myers, FL –
The Lee County Department of Transportation announced today that they will make
a recommendation to the Lee County Board of County Commissioners to replace
Structure A (which includes the drawbridge) to Sanibel due to the structural
condition of the bridge. The
County’s consultants have finalized a five-month evaluation that concluded the
structure is deteriorating at a rate similar to what was discovered on Structure
B in January of this year. Until
the replacement of the span on Structure B, bridge inspectors had not been able
to see the serious condition of the interior metal components of that structure. Once inspectors were given the opportunity to evaluate and
test the condition of the span removed from Structure B, a recommendation was
made to do further evaluations on the drawbridge structure.
The reevaluation for
the replacement of the drawbridge will include a public involvement program that
provides for public input on the three alternatives.
The County will hold a public
information workshop, a public hearing and
presentations to community organizations.
The County has received US Coast Guard approval for a design/build process for the immediate replacement of Structures B and C and it is anticipated that construction will begin later this year. To assure continued safety during the years the new bridges are being built, the County will continue to 1) conduct monthly inspections of all three bridges and 2) make repairs, install bracing and provide maintenance work as needed to ensure the structural integrity and safety of the bridges.