Big Carlos Pass Bridge to transition to new bridge early Friday
The construction of Big Carlos Pass Bridge continues to quickly accelerate, as Lee County announced that crews will begin to shift traffic to the newly constructed, fixed-span Big Carlos Pass Bridge beginning at 11 p.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday.
Motorists will begin driving on the new bridge in the early morning hours of Friday, the county announced in a press release. Once the traffic is shifted, the LeeTran trolley stops on the east side of the bridge will open for service, the county announced.
Bicyclists and pedestrians should use caution in the area, which remains an active construction zone. Work is continuing on the bridge as well as the sidewalk.
Travel lanes will be shifted on the west end of the bridge near Fort Myers Beach as crews finalize work on this span, the county announced. The navigational channel will shift to the east as this work is completed later this year. The vertical navigation clearance of the new channel is 60 feet
This work is a part of Lee County’s project to construct a new bridge over Big Carlos Pass, from Estrellita Drive on Fort Myers Beach to the Lovers Key State Park bayside entrance on Lovers Key. When completed, the new bridge will include one travel lane in each direction, bicycle lanes, a six-foot-wide sidewalk along the north side of Estero Boulevard, and a 10-foot-wide shared use path along the south side of Estero Boulevard, with a substantial barrier between vehicles and pedestrians.
Once the project is completed, parking will be available on the southeast side of the bridge. Lee County Parks & Recreation plans a parking area with bathrooms on the southeast side of the bridge to be added at a later date.
Superior Construction is overseeing the $90 million bridge project, which is expected to be completed next summer.
The 60-foot vertical clearance fixed-span bridge will be much taller than the 23-feet-high draw bridge that is being replaced. The increased height will allow for larger boats to pass through underneath without the need for traffic to be paused. The project had initially been opposed by the Town of Fort Myers Beach when it was approved by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners in 2018.
The construction of the new bridge will end recreational fishing from that spot.
Prior to completion, the existing bridge will be dismantled and used for an artificial reef.