Construction on New 65-Foot-Tall Fixed Span Cortez Bridge Now Expected to Begin During FDOT's 2026-27 Fiscal Year
Construction on a new, 65-foot-tall fixed span Cortez Bridge is now expected to begin during the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) 2026-27 fiscal year.
FDOT plans to submit its Phase II bridge construction design plans later this year, in or around August 2021
Construction should begin in fiscal year 2026/2027, the state expects funding to be available at that time.
The original anticipated bridge replacement project cost was $66.5 million.
$66.5 million is the present-day cost (2021), but with inflation, it will be $76 million by 2026,” says the FDOT.
The FDOT continues to move forward with its bridge replacement plans.
On April 23, 2018, the FDOT issued a press release regarding its Cortez bridge design decision.
“A fixed bridge is resoundingly the best financial investment for taxpayers".
The FDOT says the initial construction cost, including design and construction, saves approximately $23.9 million compared to a new mid-level drawbridge.
Over the 75-year life of the bridge, the fixed bridge also saves approximately $11.2 million in operating and maintenance costs compared to the drawbridge,” according to the FDOT.