The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is looking to replace the James H. Pruitt Memorial Bridge over the Sebastian Inlet. However, it looks like the project will be more expensive than originally planned.
In 2019, a routine inspection deemed the bridge structurally deficient but still safe after taking damage from Hurricane Dorian.
"The purpose of the project is to address the structural and functional deficiencies of the existing bridge," said FDOT Project Manager Binod Basnet. "The existing bridge will be demolished, and a taller bridge will be constructed."
The new bridge will be taller and wider and is being built east of the current bridge. It is planned to have a bike and pedestrian walkway, along with fishing piers. FDOT plans on demolishing the current bridge eventually.
FDOT also plans to add a crosswalk and reconfigure the north and south entrances to Sebastian Inlet State Park.
Traffic will be impacted during construction as the bridge will remain open. Lane closures are to be expected.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $103.4 million, according to FDOT. In 2021, the estimated cost was $55 million, and it rose in 2022 to $89 million.
"We are going to have half of the bridge, the eastern half of the bridge, being constructed while the public can use the roadway or the bridge and then we will demolish the existing bridge and then we will construct the remaining western part of the bridge to make it one bridge," said Binod Basnet of FDOT.
Work is expected to begin spring 2026 and finish in fall 2030, according to FDOT.
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Source: Treasure Coast Newspapers, Fox 29
