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3 options floated for bridge at John's Pass
By AMY WIMMER © St. Petersburg Times, published January 21, 2001 MADEIRA BEACH -- Few dispute the need for a new bridge over John's Pass, where the Florida Department of Transportation has placed boulders at the base of the current bridge's pilings to slow erosion and keep the 30-year-old span stable. What type of bridge it should be, however, is debatable. The DOT is reviewing three options for a new bridge to link Madeira Beach to the north with Treasure Island to the south: a low drawbridge with 21-foot-high clearance underneath for boats; a mid size drawbridge with 35-foot clearance; and a fixed-span bridge with 65-foot clearance. Regardless of which bridge the DOT decides to build, the new span likely will have bicycle lanes and 8-foot-wide sidewalks. The DOT could choose not to build a new bridge at all, a decision that would force the department to constantly maintain the existing span. That option is proving unpopular. Rick Adair, manager for the study phase of the John's Pass Bridge project, said the DOT is "just trying to beat Mother Nature" in its work to replace the aging bridge. Water and sand flow quickly in and out of John's Pass, scouring the bridge pilings and displacing the sand that supports the pilings. The bridge also has mechanical troubles that have prompted short-term shutdowns and worse. Last year, the southbound span was stuck in the "up" position for two weeks. Adair said the DOT is trying to accelerate plans to replace the bridge by as much as a year. Currently, the schedule calls for a final public hearing this fall, when DOT will present its recommended option and listen to public comments about the plan. Adair said the hearing might be moved to late summer if the study is completed quickly enough. The DOT is supposed to design the bridge in the 2002-2003 fiscal year and build it in 2004-2005. "We want to make sure we can construct the bridge as soon as we can," Adair said. "It's a critical project location. Everyone knows how fast flow occurs out there." Treasure Island and Madeira Beach officials and residents expect the U.S. Coast Guard will favor a high fixed span, which would allow boat traffic to travel unimpeded through the pass. Others, however, prefer a drawbridge, or more specifically, a bascule bridge, which is a type of drawbridge counterweighted so it can be raised and lowered easily. Residents of Beach Place, a 60-unit condominium complex that sits close to the bridge on its Madeira Beach side, are concerned about the view they would have if DOT allows a fixed span. "It's going to be a concrete wall," Beach Place resident Joan Humphrey said. Madeira Beach Mayor Tom DeCesare said he also will favor a drawbridge, even though agreeing to the fixed-span bridge would help speed up the project. "That would make things move along quicker, but it would destroy both our cities," DeCesare said. Treasure Island City Manager Chuck Coward said his city also would prefer a drawbridge, but he is most concerned about making sure the new bridge provides an easy way to connect Treasure Island's boardwalk with John's Pass Village in Madeira Beach. The current bridge, built in 1971, has two spans, each with two 12-foot-wide traffic lanes and a sidewalk that is slightly more than 31/2 feet wide. Preliminary designs for the new bridge call for trimming the four traffic lanes to 11 feet in width and adding 10-foot-wide bicycle lanes on each side of the street (or on each span, if the DOT decides on a drawbridge). The sidewalks would likely be widened to 8 feet. How to helpTo contact DOT with opinions about the new bridge, write to Rick Adair, project manager, Florida Department of Transportation, 11201 N McKinley Drive, MS 7-500, Tampa, FL 33612-6456.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
