The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District One is completing design plans for the future Cortez Bridge on State Road (SR) 684 in Manatee County, Florida. The project includes the bridge and roadway approaches from SR 789 (Gulf Drive) to 123rd Street West, a distance of about 0.9 mile.

Bridge Aesthetics Committee (BAC)

The Florida Department of Transportation has formed a Bridge Aesthetics Committee (BAC) consisting of community representatives from Cortez and Bradenton Beach to provide input on the bridge aesthetics.

BAC Members include:

Joe Adorna (Cortez Park), Mike Bazzy (Bradenton Beach Marina), Karen Bell (Tide Tables), Mayor John Chappie (Bradenton Beach), David Galuska, Connie Morrow (Runaway Bay & Mariners Cove), Ann Marie Nichols (Room with a Hue), Joe Rogers (Seafood Shack), Jeff Vey (Bridgeport Condos), Gloria Weir (Cortez Park), and Bobby Woodsen (Tide Tables).

BAC Meetings and Additional Small Group Meetings during Design: August 12, 2020; January 6, 2021; January 20, 2021; February 10, 2021; March 1, 2021; March 10, 2021; April 1, 2021; April 22, 2021; May 27, 2021; November 9, 2021 and May 3, 2024. Future meetings will be scheduled as needed.

To date, the BAC has determined the following (may be altered in final design)

• Preference is for aesthetically enhanced multi-column pier with a waterline footing. The exterior face of the column would be in line with the exterior face of the bridge deck. Cheekwalls would extend from the top of the pier to the underside of the deck at all pier locations.
• Preference is for four overlooks, located on the north and south side of the bridge at the two piers on either side of the main channel.
• Preference for substructure lighting on the exterior faces of the pier columns.
• A custom “wave” infill pattern is suggested for the bridge pedestrian railings.

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) hosted a public meeting on January 31, 2023.        

The following materials were available at the meeting: project presentation (video and slides), display boards, bridge 3D animation, and handouts (comment form and newsletter). You may access these files below by clicking on the file names.

Presentation Video
Presentation Slides
Roll Plot Board
Aesthetics Recommendations Board
Bridge at Night Board
Bridge Construction Phasing Board
Title VI Board
3D Animation
Comment Form
Newsletter

The same information is also provided under the "Project Documents" section of this page.