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Worth the wait

It rises quickly, gracefully curving over Clearwater Harbor before gliding gently toward the beach. The new Clearwater Memorial Causeway bridge offers a sleek contemporary signature worthy of the natural beauty surrounding it. It is a testament to smart planning and perseverance that will serve residents and tourists well for decades.

Getting here hasn't been easy. Portions of the roadway sank twice, columns cracked and the opening is more than 500 days late. But getting on and off the beach will be easier for generations. No more waiting on an anachronistic draw bridge. No more carloads of beachbound kids and irritated parents stuck in traffic in downtown Clearwater. No more concerns about an inadequate hurricane evacuation route.

It turns out the timing of the bridge's opening couldn't be better. Clearwater Beach is undergoing a transformation, with hundreds of millions of dollars in public and private money earmarked for new hotels, condos and a beach walk. Bold new developments also are on the drawing board for downtown Clearwater that could make it a destination instead of a funnel for beach traffic.

The new bridge with its 74-foot-high span helps bring Clearwater's future into sharper focus, clears up a traffic nightmare - and offers a dream view of the waterfront.

[Last modified August 20, 2005, 01:24:02]