The Cortez Bridge is a double-leaf
bascule bridge
A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...
that connects the
barrier islands
Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a f ...
of
Bradenton Beach, and the
mainland
Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or dem ...
of
Cortez,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. It crosses the
Sarasota Bay
Sarasota Bay is a lagoon located off the central west coast of Florida in the United States. Though no significant single stream of freshwater enters the bay, with a drainage basin limited to 150 square miles in Manatee and Sarasota Counties, it ...
, carries
Cortez Road, part of
SR 684, and was built in 1956, replacing a
swing bridge built in 1921.
The current bridge was designated by the 1965 Legislature of Florida.
In 2017, the
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the powers of t ...
began plans replace the Cortez Bridge with a high-level bridge. Construction is expected to begin in the mid-2020's. The new bridge will be 65 feet above the surface, and it will allow 98% of boats to pass underneath.
References
{{Reflist
See also
*
Anna Maria Island Bridge
State Road 64 (SR 64) extends from City Road 789 (former County Road 789) near the Gulf of Mexico in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island in Manatee County to US 27/ US 98 in Avon Park in Highlands County. State Road 64 travels from west to east th ...
*
Longboat Pass Bridge
Bridges in Florida
Bradenton, Florida
Transportation buildings and structures in Manatee County, Florida