Miami: Iconic Venetian Causeway Bridges Will Be Modernized to Resist Climate Change

He Venetian causewaya viaduct that connects miami con miami beach, will face a major transformation. The original 11 bridges, three years after their centenary, will be demolished as they are in poor condition and insufficient to withstand rising sea levels and increased storm surges due to the climate change.

After eight years of deliberation, the Venetian Causeway Bridge Replacement Plan, built in 1926, was finally ratified by federal and state road officials at a cost of $148 million. Given the historic value of the causeway, it was stipulated that it should maintain the same appearance, scale and style as the original bridges. This includes the construction of arched supports and concrete railings in open and cross patterns, to preserve the iconic image of the viaduct.

“Without a doubt, the bridges are in poor condition,” he said. Josenrique Cuetodeputy county director of public works, which maintains and operates the Venetian, at The new herald. “There is no doubt that the bridges need to be replaced. But this is a large-scale project that requires special attention.”

The new bridges should have a lifespan of at least 75 years, according to county engineers. However, the massive project, which has been in the works for eight years, will not start anytime soon.

The design, by EAC Council Miami, won’t be finished until the spring of 2025, according to Cueto and his engineering team. Likewise, due to the time it will take to select a contractor and obtain permits from the many regulatory bodies, construction will not begin until at least 2026.

To ensure uninterrupted traffic on the roadway, county engineers plan to demolish and build half of each bridge at a time. Each direction will have an open lane, plus a narrow sidewalk for pedestrians and cyclists. The work is estimated to take four years.

For years, conservationists and historians have urged the county to consider saving and repairing existing bridges as they upgrade. In the 90s, when they had to be completely rehabilitated, this was the chosen strategy. However, rising sea levels accelerated the corrosion, amplifying the effect of the waves on the support beams. It didn’t take long for the bridges to score poorly in engineering evaluations due to deterioration. The seawall bridge at the Miami end of the viaduct performed so badly that it was completely replaced in 2016.

Based on this experience, it was ultimately concluded that it would not be practical to renovate the bridges. Finally, last December, the Florida Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) gave the go-ahead to a co-developed county plan to replace the remaining 11 original bridges.

The new bridges will have taller arches to accommodate larger vessels and will be designed to withstand sea level rise and storm surges caused by climate change, which are expected to become more frequent and severe in the future. They will also incorporate the latest in lighting and monitoring technology, with sensors to detect any issues in real time.

The project is funded by a mix of federal and state grants, with the county covering the rest. The demolition and reconstruction of the bridges is expected to cost approximately $148 million.

Despite the cost and length of the process, many residents and visitors look forward to the improved infrastructure and safer transportation that the new bridges will provide.

The new bridges are expected to be completed by 2030. In the meantime, the bridge’s higher landings may restrict public access to compact, low-lying islands. Engineers say they will identify areas where walkways can be built to facilitate pedestrian access from the bridge’s upper ramps.

The decision to replace bridges rather than repair them may disappoint some, but it reflects a pragmatic approach to a complex problem. As climate change poses a growing threat, the need to adapt and upgrade local infrastructure to meet these challenges becomes more urgent. The Venetian Causeway project is just one example of how work is being done to meet this challenge and create a sustainable future in the on Florida.

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