 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Cities debate height of new bridge
By KATHY SAUNDERS
© St. Petersburg Times, TREASURE ISLAND -- Commissioners on each side of John's Pass have different views about how high a new bridge should be. Elected officials from Treasure Island and Madeira Beach met Tuesday to discuss the three proposals for replacing the deteriorating bridge. The Federal Highway Administration will be paying to replace the bridge in 2004 or 2005, depending on the height and how much adjacent land has to be purchased. If they have to choose, Treasure Island commissioners unanimously favor a 35-foot drawbridge over the other options: a 21-foot drawbridge, roughly the height of the current span; and a much higher, fixed bridge. If a bridge could be made to order, commissioners said they want a drawbridge with 45 feet of clearance. State Department of Transportation engineers are studying that possibility and hope to have an answer within two weeks. The 65-foot-high fixed span, which would require acquisition of almost 100 properties, is the most expensive choice at $102.9-million; compared to $94.4-million for a mid-level drawbridge and down to $32.2-million for the low-level bridge, which would require no land purchases. The current bridge, now 30 years old, is in such bad shape that the DOT has placed boulders at the base of its pilings to stabilize it and slow erosion. Madeira Beach Mayor Tom De Cesare and Commissioner Roger Koske also favored the mid-level bridge, but the other three city commissioners said they prefer a high, fixed bridge linking the two communities. Commissioner Charles Parker said the big bridge makes sense for many reasons, including maintenance and durability. "We may not have more people living on the beaches, but we're going to have more people traveling the beaches," he said. It is expected to cost about $150,000 a year to maintain a drawbridge and another $750,000 every 25 years for major overhauls. Madeira Beach Commissioners Jan Sturgis and Doreen Moore agreed with Parker. "Traffic gridlock is going to be unbelievable in the next five years," said Sturgis. "I think it's extremely important that we are looking at the big picture," said Vice-Mayor Moore. Treasure Island commissioners said they were concerned about the residents who would have to be relocated and the boaters whose vessels wouldn't fit under a fixed bridge. "Sixty-five feet would be unreasonable. Nobody would be able to traverse the area," said Treasure Island Commissioner Butch Ellsworth. "They cannot landlock the western portion of Pinellas County." Treasure Island Mayor Leon Atkinson, who grew up within earshot of the John's Pass Bridge, said he also was concerned about speeding on a high bridge: "I certainly don't want something out there that becomes a thrill hill at 2 o'clock in the morning." Seventy residences and 22 businesses would have to be acquired, mostly to provide frontage roads to access the new bridge. "Where are they going to go?" asked Commissioner Mary Maloof. "I don't know that we have any other places in Treasure Island to accommodate these people. We are a built-out community." Richard Adair, the DOT administrator for the project, said the federal officials will consider a host of "environmental" impacts, including the relocation of homes and businesses, community disruption, noise and air quality. The federal authorities, he said, traditionally favor the option that has the least impact. With a mid-level bridge, the state figures that 36 residences and 14 businesses would be absorbed. Adair said that 90 percent of the people who have contacted the state thus far favor the low bridge. By October, Adair said the state engineers expect to select an option to recommend to the federal government. They plan to hold a public hearing on the beaches to get more input. He said federal officials probably will make a selection in January or February 2002. Federal officials, he added, almost always take the recommendation of state engineers. Treasure Island resident Earl Pfeiffer said he was favoring the mid-level bridge during Tuesday's workshop -- until he discovered that his house would be torn down if it were built. "After 10 years of looking for a lot, I finally found one," said Pfeiffer, who recently built a home on Gulf Boulevard. "One of the reasons I bought it is because of the fishing village element -- I like the bridge opening and closing at night and the sound of the bells and the horns. There is a tremendous amount of charm that goes with a drawbridge." Pfeiffer was calmly discussing his options with city and state officials after the workshop. But he said, "I haven't gone home and told my wife yet."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times South Pinellas desks |
