Summary
Needs Assessment
Two bridges connect SR 80
(Southern Boulevard) in the City of
(ICWW) and the Lake Worth
Lagoon. The main bridge is a movable or bascule
bridge which currently provides 10 feet of vertical
clearance and 80 feet of horizontal clearance. U.S.
Coast Guard required clearances at this site are 21 feet
vertical and 125 feet horizontal for a bascule bridge.
The second and easternmost bridge, referred to as the
tidal relief bridge, is a low level fixed bridge that
spans a narrow section of open water along the eastern
shore of the lagoon. SR 80 is a designated
emergency evacuation route from the barrier island
communities to the mainland.
Both bridges were constructed in 1950. Despite continued efforts to repair the existing bridges, engineering studies have determined that the bridge structures are deteriorating and are in need of major repair or replacement. In addition, some elements of the
bridge are not constructed to
current design standards. For example, the
existing sidewalks are only 3.5 feet wide; sidewalks
must be a minimum of six feet under current standards.
In addition, the US Coast Guard establishes requirements
for vertical and horizontal clearances for bridges that
cross the ICWW. The existing bascule bridge
clearances are less than these requirements.
The movable bridge has a
sufficiency rating of 48.9; the tidal relief bridge has
a sufficiency rating of 36.3. Bridges are assigned
a sufficiency rating based on their overall condition.
Deterioration of the bridge and an assessment of the
features on the bridge that may affect safety are
considered when determining the rating.
Sufficiency ratings range from 0 to 100, where 100 is
excellent and 0 is extremely poor. Bridges
with a sufficiency rating of less than 50 are generally
eligible for replacement with federal funds.
Planning, Design and
Construction
Project Overview
The Florida Department of
Transportation (FDOT) District Four has initiated a PD&E
study to evaluate alternatives to rehabilitate or replace both
bridges. The limits of the PD&E study extend from
SR-805 (South Dixie Highway) in the City of West Palm
Beach on the mainland to SR A1A (South Ocean
Boulevard) in the Town of Palm Beach on the barrier
island. The length of the project is approximately
1 mile.
The existing bridges provide
one 12-foot travel lane in each direction, two feet of
buffer between the edge of the driving lane and the face
of the sidewalk, and 3.5 foot-wide sidewalks exists on
both sides of the bridge. Based on the traffic
analysis of the existing roadway network and the traffic
projections made for the year 2032 no additional travel
lanes will be proposed for the replacement bridges.
However, widening of the existing bridge will be
required to meet current design and safety standards.
The PD&E study will consider
the potential social, cultural and physical impacts of
the proposed bridge alternatives. The project
corridor traverses environmentally sensitive areas,
including
and cultural impacts will
also be considered.
Finance
Federal and state funding is
allocated for future Phases of the project, including
Design and Construction. The current construction costs
estimate for a new bridge is approximately 62.3 million
dollars.
Project Status
The PD&E study was initiated in November, 2006. A project “Kick-Off” Meeting and
Agency Coordination Meeting was held on March 29, 2007
at the
the congregation of St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church. Meetings were also held
with local government
representatives. These small group meetings
provided the community an opportunity to express their
views about the project.
The project team has
developed and evaluated alternatives for replacement or
rehabilitation of the existing bridges. These
alternatives were presented at the Public Alternatives
Workshop held on March 13, 2008 at the
in close proximity to the project, you will receive an invitation in the mail. If you would
like to be
added to the project mailing list, please click on the
“Contact Us” page on this site and provide your name and
mailing address.