It’s no secret the future replacement for the Anna Maria Island Bridge will be a high fixed-span bridge. What that bridge will look like is finally beginning to take shape.
The Anna Maria Island Aesthetics Committee, responsible for recommending certain design elements for the look of the bridge to the Florida Department of Transportation, met Aug. 24 in Bradenton.
Committee members agreed on mudline footings for the bridge, which would have them buried under the surface and allow easier passage under the bridge for boaters.
The primary channel opening at the apex of the bridge will be 150 feet wide with a 62-foot navigable clearance.
Scott Korpi, lead structural engineer on the project for DOT contractor American Consulting Professionals, said the mudline footings would represent a $1 million cost, primarily due to installation in the seabed.
Next, committee members opted for hammerhead supports for the bridge over champagne glass-shaped piers, which would raise the cost of the bridge by $2.7 million.
“This is pure aesthetics,” committee member Nancy Deal said.
“I can’t justify the cost,” said committee member and Bradenton Beach Mayor Bill Shearon of the champagne piers.
Rectangular piers were chosen over rounded ones to unify the aesthetics of the bridge.
Committee members also agreed to eliminate overlooks from the bridge.
Deal said with the 10-foot pedestrian pathways on either side of the bridge, there would be plenty of room for anyone who wanted to stop by the railing and enjoy the view from the bridge.
Shearon and committee member Allen Lai Hipp were concerned about maintenance of the overlooks and trash pickup on the bridge, which would fall to Manatee County.
“Any time you get into anything with maintenance, it’s a problem,” Shearon said.
Committee member Ingrid McClellan suggested using a pedestrian railing with a sun-ray pattern, which was unanimously approved by the committee.
“The bridge is a bridge,” she said. “We might as well make the drive across it as aesthetically pleasing as possible.”
Korpi said whatever railing was chosen would look like stainless steel and would be maintained in the natural color of the material, not painted.
When committee members next meet, they will discuss lighting and design imprints for the bridge piers.
During public comment, Suzi Fox, executive director of Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, suggested the committee incorporate sea turtle-friendly amber LED lighting. Fox said the lighting chosen for the bridge would have an impact on sea turtles by increasing the night sky glow, light coming from sources other than the reflection of the moon, potentially causing sea turtles to disorient on the beach.
Committee members will next meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, at Bradenton Public Works, 1411 Ninth St. W.