FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FORT
MYERS, Fla. (February 14, 2002) –
Structural repairs to Matlacha Bridge were completed at 5:30 a.m. this morning
so the bridge will not have to be closed to traffic tonight.
The contractor will
still be removing rust and repainting underneath the bridge for the next
three-to-four weeks, but traffic will not be affected.
Emergency repairs began Monday
and will continue for up to six weeks. No
lanes of traffic have been closed during the day.
In December, after an
inspection report, Lee DOT posted the Matlacha Bridge for a 15-ton load limit on
the recommendation of its consultant. The
department was issuing (free) overweight permits for standard load (40-ton)
trucks to cross the structure one vehicle at a time at a constant speed of 10
miles per hour.
That
requirement is no longer in effect.
The department also is in the
process of preparing a scope of services to advertise for a design consultant to
evaluate and prepare a design/rehabilitation plan for the structure that will
address long-range concerns.
Lee County’s Transportation Department plans, builds, expands and maintains county roads, bridges, ditches and landscaping in the unincorporated areas of Lee County. It also maintains the county traffic signal system and operates the toll facilities on the Midpoint Memorial, Cape Coral and Sanibel Causeway bridges. It employs 374 and has an annual operating budget of $32.9 million.