The Anna Maria Island Bridge aesthetics committee has chosen a color palette for the proposed new bridge — blue.
The bridge is planned to replace the existing span that links Holmes Beach to Perico Island and the mainland via Manatee Avenue.
The committee met Oct. 26 to discuss color and imprints for the proposed high-span bridge and the retaining walls at each landfall. The recommendation to the Florida Department of Transportation is a gray bridge and retaining walls with blue support piers.
Scott Korpi of American Consulting Professionals said the easiest way to add the blue to the piers would be to stain them as the concrete is cast. Korpi estimates the stain will penetrate the concrete about half an inch deep.
“I think the blue’s really pretty,” committee member Nancy Deal said. “It will blend right in.”
Committee members opted to keep the remainder of the bridge gray to avoid the potential for two blue colors that don’t match.
The girders for the bridge and the piers will be constructed at different sites by different teams of workers, creating the possibility for the color mismatch.
Committee member Dean Jones said whatever the committee decides, he wants the bridge to be visually attractive in 50 years.
Committee members also selected a sea turtle pattern to crawl up the first support pier on the sides of the bridge where it would be viewable by pedestrians crossing under the bridge. The sea turtle imprint also will be added to the support piers at the channel near the center of the bridge for visibility by boaters.
Committee members elected to only place the turtle imprint on piers that could easily be seen by pedestrians and boaters rather than add the expense of putting the design on each of the 20 bridge piers.
“It’s aesthetically pleasing,” committee member Ingrid McClellan said.
A pattern of sea turtles, pelicans and manatees was chosen for the retaining wall tiles after discarding egrets, dolphins and other proposed images.
When choosing the design, Jones urged committee members to consider symbols that represent the community surrounding the bridge. “What do we care about as a community,” he asked.
McClellan suggested including manatees in the design to represent local marine life and Manatee County. Jones suggested including sea turtles to represent the sea turtles and volunteers dedicated to helping them. Pelicans were added to the design to represent the area’s sea birds.
The remaining tiles will have a textured pattern to discourage graffiti.
“We’ve got 100 years of vandals to consider,” Jones said, referring to the life span of the proposed bridge.
Korpi agreed to present committee members with a rendering of the bridge incorporating their recommendations for review at the next meeting.
The Anna Maria Island Bridge aesthetics committee will next meet after a two-month hiatus for the holidays at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the Bradenton Public Works facility, 1411 Ninth St. W.
When is the bridge going to be built?
Your question may better be directed to the FLA DOT. To my knowledge, it is not contracted or budgeted.
I appreciate the continued updates on this topic. Is there an update on funding for the estimated costs of the new bridge?