STEVE REID
Editor & Publisher
sreid@lbknews.com
The era of the quaint barrier island drawbridge is rapidly coming to an end, and local officials are finding out the hard way that state budget math trumps community character.
At a Longboat Key commission workshop last week, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) outlined its aggressive push to replace both the Cortez Bridge and the Longboat Pass Bridge with massive, high-clearance fixed spans.
While the state touts these projects as significant regional investments that will eliminate traffic bottlenecks, the updates served as a bitter pill for Longboat Key commissioners and north-end residents who spent the last year fighting—and ultimately failing—to keep a mid-size drawbridge at Longboat Pass.
Here is where both massive infrastructure projects currently stand.
Cortez Bridge: The $130 Million Reality
The replacement of the functionally obsolete 1956 Cortez Bridge is no longer just a concept; it is weeks away from going out to bid. FDOT has invested $6.7 million in engineering and design since late 2019 to replace the aging bascule drawbridge with a towering fixed-span structure built immediately adjacent to the current bridge.
FDOT Project Manager Amy Blair provided the latest timeline and figures for the Cortez project:
• Bidding: Project advertising is in progress, with bid openings scheduled for late March 2026.
• Construction Start: Targeted for September 2026.
• Timeline: The build will take 1,200 days (three years and four months), with a tentative completion date of late 2029 to early 2030.
• Total Cost: An estimated $129.9 million.
The state insists the fixed span will create a “free-flow condition,” drastically improving vehicular movement in and out of peak season by removing the frequent, lengthy drawbridge openings that currently paralyze State Road 684.
Longboat Pass: A Lost Battle for Community Character
While the Cortez Bridge is fully funded and ready to break ground, the Longboat Pass Bridge (connecting the north end of Longboat Key to Coquina Beach) is wrapping up its $2.125 million Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study.
For the past year, Longboat Key leaders and residents fought fiercely against FDOT’s proposed 78-foot-high fixed bridge. The town formally recommended a 36-foot mid-level bascule (drawbridge) instead, arguing it would minimize openings while maintaining the island’s low-profile aesthetic.
However, FDOT ultimately cited massive cost disparities, cementing the 78-foot high-span as its preferred alternative. The state’s estimated cost breakdown revealed a gap too large for local sentiment to overcome:
• High-Span Fixed Bridge: $138 million (FDOT’s Preference)
• Low-Level Bascule Options: $176 million to $185 million
• Mid-Level Bascule Options: $184 million to $194 million
Choosing a drawbridge would have cost the state an additional $38 million to $56 million upfront, not factoring in the long-term expenses of maintenance and bridge tenders.
Resident Backlash and Ignored Pleas
The decision is a significant blow to the commission and residents of the Northgate condominium complex. Because the new Longboat Pass bridge will be built directly west of the existing 1957 structure, the massive 78-foot span will creep within 36.5 feet of Northgate—a sharp decrease from the current 95-foot buffer.
In a letter sent to FDOT District 1 Secretary Lakshmikanth Nandam last summer, Mayor Ken Schneier explicitly laid out why the high span was the wrong choice. Schneier noted that forcing a 78-foot elevation over a mere 0.15-mile distance creates a slope steeper than the John Ringling Causeway (which is 65 feet high but stretched over 3,097 feet). He warned the incline would be a significant challenge and safety hazard for pedestrians and cyclists.
“A 78-foot-high fixed span would be inconsistent with the character of Longboat Key,” Schneier wrote at the time. “One of the area’s few remaining residential communities immune to high rises and hotel houses, Longboat has always been connected to its neighbors to the north and south by modest drawbridges over relatively narrow passes.”
Despite the town’s pleas to reduce the bridge’s width and stick to the mid-level drawbridge, the state is moving forward with the most cost-effective, high-span option.
What Happens Next?
While construction for the Longboat Pass Bridge currently remains unfunded, the finalized PD&E and alternative analysis results will be presented to the public next month.
FDOT will hold final public meetings on March 12 (in-person) and March 17 (virtual). Town officials are urging residents and business owners to attend, though the town’s focus will likely now shift from stopping the high-span bridge to mitigating its impact on local property owners as the design phase begins.
