Work suspended on Big Carlos Bridge
The concrete repair and overlay project on Big Carlos Bridge at the southern terminus of Fort Myers Beach has been put on hold until March 21, according to Lee County Department of Transportation Senior Engineer Ehab Guirguis.
Lee DOT Operations began work on the bridge on Oct. 25, 2010. The project is still expected to be completed by the first week of April.
“We found that traffic was getting really crazy on the bridge so we’ve put the project on hold for four weeks and will start back on March 21,” said Guirguis, who said the work would be suspended until after the college spring breaks are over. “All we need is two weeks to finish the job.”
Guirguis said the work should be done before the local high school breaks.
“We had a meeting this morning (Monday) and our plan is still a go,” he said. “We found it’s not really practical to finish the job at this time.”
Guirguis explained what type of work has been happening on the first bridge that Beach residents and visitors encounter on their way to Bonita Beach or other southern points.
“We are applying epoxy with some aggregates to add a newer layer to the bridge deck so that it will handle the wear and sheer. The concrete surface has been there for 40 years or more now,” he said. “This kind of epoxy cannot be put on the bridge if the conditions are wet or cold.”
Once the work resumes, Guirguis said work will begin at 7 a.m. and be completed by 2:30 p.m. each day. This is a shift in time from the 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. work that has occurred since the start of the project. There will single lane closures during those times.
“This is what we are shooting for,” he said.
The two-lane bridge crosses Big Carlos Pass between Estero Island and Lovers Key.