$150 million replacement of Venetian Causeway bridges rolling

An ongoing project to replace 11 of the 12 bridges on the Venetian Causeway is in the design phase with construction expected to start in 2025 at a projected cost of about $150 million.

Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works and the Florida Department of Transportation are working with partners to rebuild the aging bridges, nearing their 100th birthday. After years of deterioration, the improvements will raise the bridges to mitigate sea-level rise, provide green areas for recreational use, widen sidewalks and bicycle lanes and enhance overall safety.

Constructed in 1927, the scenic Venetian Causeway connects six manmade residential islands in Biscayne Bay to the mainland and Miami Beach. It has 12 bridges, including 10 fixed-span bridges and two bascule-leaf span bridges.

The causeway is a designated landmark listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. With an initial design life of 50 years and having weathered many hurricanes during its long history, the bridges are in varying states of deterioration and have been repaired numerous times.

The bridges and approaches don’t meet current design and safety requirements and are at risk of hurricane wave loading, storm surges and sea level rise. This is especially concerning as the causeway is an emergency evacuation route.

The county, state and other stakeholders are working together to replace 11 bridges, including the easternmost moveable bridge. The design process will take about 18 to 24 months to finish, at which time construction is planned to begin from east to west, county officials say.

In April, the county hosted a public meeting in which it presented plans to provide residents and businesses with information about the project’s design phase.

The scope of work includes replacing bridges 2-12 at an estimated cost of $149 million in a mix of federal, state and local funding. The new bridges will be built to mitigate sea-level rise by increasing the existing vertical clearances and adding resiliency components to the bridge approaches and adjacent spoil islands.

The replacements will also be 16 feet wider, providing for better safety for joggers and cyclists who regularly use the causeway. Also, some of the spoil islands will be widened to their original footprint following the impacts of time, erosion and storms.

The bridges’ design will pay homage to the rich history and original appearance of the Venetian Causeway. Their design life expectancy is approximately 75 years.

The county set a target procurement date that would see the process completed in fall 2024 and construction estimated to start in summer 2025.
“The Department of Transportation Public Works and partners are excited to move this project forward that will make the Venetian Causeway safe for all users, especially as an evacuation route during emergencies,” the county said in a statement.