Politics & Government
New Bayway Bridge on Fast Track By State
The Florida Department of Transportation announced the replacement of the Pinellas Bayway Drawbridge to begin early 2012. A four-lane high-profile bridge with a bike trail will replace the old two-lane drawbridge.
The long-delayed replacement of the Pinellas Bayway Bridge will begin early next year, according to Florida Department of Transportation secretary Ananth Prasad. The project has moved up as part of a major transportation plan for state highways.
Prasad announced the new schedule at a meeting of the Florida Transportation Builders Association in Marco Island on August 5.
Replacing the two-lane, Pinellas Bayway Drawbridge will be a four-lane, fixed span high-level bridge. The new bridge will improve traffic to St. Pete Beach by eliminating delays, increasing both vehicle and marine capacity and reducing congestion. The new span will also include a combination of bike and walk path.
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The Bayway project is now on an advanced schedule as part of the “Transportation Vision for the 21st Century,” part of the $7.9 billion FDOT budget.
To help fund the Bayway project will be a combination of new gas taxes and tolls. The Bayway project is one of 10 others fast tracked for 2012.
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The FDOT originally estimated the Bayway project would cost $67 million; current estimates the figure closer to $58 million.