BRADENTON, Fla. — The bell on the Cortez drawbridge will soon fall silent.
- 65-foot high fixed span bridge will replace drawbridge
- Expected to help with traffic congestion
- Cortez residents worried it could hurt business
- More Manatee County headlines
The Florida Department of Transportation confirmed it plans to replace the decades-old bridge that connects the village of Cortez and Anna Maria Island with a 65-foot fixed span bridge.
A study reviewed by the agency showed that creating a fixed span bridge will help eliminate congestion and delays caused by the existing drawbridge openings.
Based on data provided by the bridge tender, the 65-foot bridge will allow 98 percent of boats to pass underneath.
During the winter months, residents say traffic can be backed up for well over a mile on Cortez Road as residents wait to cross the bridge and enter Bradenton Beach.
"I'm for it because it's going to help the traffic,” said resident Ty Price.
The new bridge will also create a new traffic pattern. Drivers will no longer be able to turn directly off Cortez Road and into the parking lots of waterfront businesses.
To access Tide Tables, which sits directly on the water, drivers will need to exit the road about four blocks east, and then loop around under the new bridge to access the parking lot.
"How much business is going to be affected by having a big concrete span right there is anybody's guess," said owner Bob Woodson. "I don’t know."
Construction is expected to begin in the mid-2020’s.