FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Amy Davies, Lee County Department of Transportation
               (239) 479-8589

CAUSEWAY SPAN "C" NEEDS MORE REPAIRS ACCORDING TO SITE INSPECTION

FORT MYERS, Fla. (February 19, 2004) - The Sanibel Causeway's Span "C" - the fixed bridge nearest Sanibel Island - is in need of emergency repairs because of further deterioration of the beams.

Lee County's consulting engineers - PBS&J - are recommending the repairs after a Feb. 13 site visit revealed "further deterioration of the condition of the beams in some of the spans. Specifically, spans 48 and 60 of Bridge C now appear to require temporary auxiliary support," according to a letter the PBS&J project engineer sent to the county this week.

The county likely will have to construct steel supports under the effected beams. The county currently is evaluating the extent of the repairs, which likely will require some lane closures to bore through the bridge deck to connect the steel supports to the bridge deck. A repair time schedule has not been set.

PBS&J's letter continues: "…to maintain the safety of the Sanibel Causeway bridges, we recommend that these two spans be strengthened as soon as possible in order to maintain the current load rating."

Since the Causeway bridges began to fail in January 2003, the county has been inspecting the structures monthly.

The county is in the process of replacing all of the 40-year-old Causeway's bridges, with the replacement of the B and C fixed spans scheduled to begin later this year.

In January 2003, the county replaced an entire section of the B span, closing the Causeway for a day. The county also placed braces under the C span in February 2003.