Bradenton City Council Approves Funding Agreement for Ware

BRADENTON – The council approved a funding request for an $850,000 loan for the construction of the first of four bridges needed for the Ware’s Creek dredging project. The total amount for bridge construction is approximately 6 million, but Southwest Florida Water Management District will provide half of the required funding.

Pubiic Works Director Claude Tankersley presented the SRF Funding Agreement, (A request authorizing the Mayor to sign the proposed Clean Water State Revolving Fund Load agreement for the City’s storm water management facilities project), at Wednesday’s city council meeting. The venture requires that four bridges be replaced during the dredge project.

Currently the bridges at Ninth Avenue, 12th Avenue, 14th Avenue and 17th Avenue are ”old style“ bridges constructed fifty years ago. They will each be replaced with box culverts that allow more water flow and provide more room under each bridge. Because the underside will be taller and wider, Tankersley predicts the waterways will be adept for small boat traffic with the exception of 17th Avenue. Although the culverts will provide more space, the roadbed elevation will remain the same.

”Drivers crossing the bridges will notice little to no change in elevation,“ said Tankersley.

Each bridge will cost roughly 1.5 million dollars, however the city has received a grant through SFTMD’s flood abatement project award program to pay for half of all costs.

Construction will take place on a ”bridge by bridge“ basis with the city receiving a loan for each one.

”If everything goes as planned we will have completed construction of the Ninth Avenue bridge by mid August of next year,“ said Tankersley.

The city decided to construct one bridge per year in an effort to minimize traffic congestion. The entire initiative should be completed by 2015.