A new committee has formed and its goal is to help design the replacement for the Anna Maria Island Bridge.
The Anna Maria Island Bridge Aesthetics Committee met for the first time June 29 in Bradenton to discuss its role in the bridge replacement project, currently in the design phase.
The seven-member committee includes representatives from Manatee County, Anna Maria, Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, the Palma Sola Scenic Highway committee and Save Anna Maria Inc., a watchdog organization.
With the Manatee County member still to be determined, members are Dean Jones of Anna Maria, Jim McLellan from Bradenton, Bradenton Beach Mayor Bill Shearon, Bob Rosas of Holmes Beach, Ingrid McClellan of Keep Manatee Beautiful and Nancy Deal of Holmes Beach, representing SAM.
Florida Department of Transportation project manager Kati Sherrard said committee members were chosen by the municipality or organization they represent.
“We have a wide variety of participants here,” she said.
The committee members will meet once a month through December to recommend elements for the new bridge design, including color palette, lighting, railings and landscaping. As the committee explores options, the DOT will update a 3-D rendering of the bridge design in order to demonstrate how the sections appear as they are combined. The rendering tool also will calculate a projected cost for the replacement project.
Currently the project is estimated to cost $76 million — it is not yet funded.
Designs are underway to replace the drawbridge with a high-level, fixed-span bridge similar to the John Ringling Causeway Bridge in Sarasota. The new bridge would be built 14 feet south of the existing bridge, with the roadway about 74 feet above the water providing a navigational clearance of 65 feet.
The proposed bridge would feature two 12-foot traffic lanes, a 10-foot shoulder and a 10-foot sidewalk on each side, separated from the travel lanes by a barricade.
Sherrard said if funding is made available, construction on the replacement bridge could begin in 2019.
“The importance of the committee is to give meaningful input on design elements so they can be incorporated into the bridge plans in a timely manner,” said Jeff Novotny, public involvement lead for American Consulting Professionals, the Wesley Chapel organization helming the bridge design.
When committee members next meet, they are expected to elect officers and choose structural features for the bridge, including footings, support pier shapes and location of overlooks, according to the schedule outlined by the DOT.
Information on the project and bridge design is online at www.swflroads.com/sr64/sr789topericobay.
The aesthetics committee will next meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, at the Bradenton Public Works and Utilities Department office, 1411 Ninth St. W., Bradenton.
