MATLACHA, Fla. – To our valued community, we are pleased to share weekly updates on the ongoing construction of the Pine Island Bridge and the steps being taken to accelerate the project. We are committed to delivering this critical infrastructure as quickly as possible while ensuring quality and safety remain top priorities.

Phase 1 Update

We aim to complete Phase 1 by spring 2025 and make significant progress on both the east and west sides of the bridge.

East Side Work

This week, the crew successfully completed installing all sheet piles for the permanent wall. These interlocking steel sheets provide essential structural support, acting as both a foundation and retaining element for the project.

Additionally, slab beam placement has begun and will continue after the large rocks (rip rap) installation is complete. Concrete slab beams are utilized to efficiently support vehicular loads over short to medium spans and rip rap will help protect the bridge and mitigate erosion.

It’s been two weeks since construction crews completed the installation of the bulkhead pipe pile wall. Driving the bulkhead pipe pile wall is a critical step for stabilizing the foundation and ensuring the structural integrity of the bridge as it progresses.

Construction crews are set to form and pour concrete caps next week. Concrete caps, also known as pile caps, serve to distribute the load from the structure above evenly across the piles below.

West Side Work

Another crew is on-site and started placing large rocks (rip rap) on the west side while work continues on the east side. This work depends on the level of the tide. By working on both sides at the same time, progress will stay on track without delays.

We understand the importance of this bridge to the community and are dedicated to its timely completion. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to rebuild stronger and better than before.

Stay tuned for future updates as we make progress on this critical project.

To sign up for updates and access the weekly Road Watch, please visit the project website at 451937-2 Pine Island Causeway and Bridge Reconstruction Project. To access the bridge traffic cameras go to https://www.leegov.com/dot/traffic.

You can also contact the Communications Team by calling the project hotline at (239)-800-6391 or by emailing at pineislandinfo@exp.com.