Back in 1909, when everyone dressed in their Sunday best every day, there was not a collection taken in an attempt to build a new bridge. Residents were more in favor of improving the roads. Over 100 years later this project finally got off the ground, and included construction of a new two-lane bridge with paved bike lanes and a pedestrian overlook. The project also crosses freshwater and tidally influenced wetlands. Despite rain and Hurricane Matthew, the project stayed on schedule. Because the ground was so saturated around the terminus, the first set of I-beams were placed over another span instead.
Location: Manatee County, Fla.
Cost: $32 million
Length: 2,300 ft
Designer: AECOM
Contractor: Johnson Bros. Corp., a Southland Co.
Owner: Manatee County
