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Bridge plan looks familiar
By KATHY SAUNDERS TREASURE ISLAND -- The new causeway bridge probably will look a lot like the rest of the city's new buildings. It will have a tower that resembles the downtown clock and the pavilion on Sunset Beach. And residents want handrails that drivers can see through while they are stopped at the drawbridge. Commissioners plan to make a decision on those designs by March 1. They hoped for more input from residents, but few turned out at a public hearing. "It's your meeting," Mayor Leon Atkinson told a crowd of about 20 Tuesday night. "We need to get your input on this." He pleaded with residents to share their views on the costliest project the city has ever undertaken. "The commission will be making the decision," he told the audience. "Now is the time for you to tell us how you want this bridge to look." Sunset Beach's Don Callahan, who is campaigning for commissioner in the March 5 election, said he prefers a mid-priced bridge: "I wouldn't advocate going the cheapest way." Roseanne and Tom Petit of Paradise Island agreed. "We probably don't need an $80-million bridge -- it would be nice if someone donated it, but that's probably not going to happen," said Roseanne Petit. Designs for a new bridge come in three tiers: a $47-million, no-frills style; a $55-million design with some bells and whistles; or an $80-million "signature" model made one-of-a-kind. Of various architectural designs within those price ranges, the most popular has been a Key West style that uses basic bridge construction with a few decorative elements in places such as the tower, the handrailings and the light fixtures. Design is the second of the three major bridge decisions. The first was the alignment. Consultants say the new bridge can be built in exactly the same place as the current structure. Once the style of the bridge is decided, the final question will be height, to be discussed at a public hearing later this spring. The style is more critical at this point, say commissioners, because the city must design the two approach bridges by the end of the year if they want to receive grant money. Consultants with EC Driver & Associates are designing the new causeway bridge to be built by 2005. The existing bridge, built in 1939, is deteriorating beyond repair. As the new bridge is being designed, engineers said residents could view the renderings from several vantage points on a Web site: www.ti-causeway.com.
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
