Old Belleair Bridge Demolished on July 15th

A section of the old Belleair Bridge was demolished on July 15th as construction continued into the next phase on the newer, bigger and better Belleair Beach Causeway Bridge.

The Belleair Beach Causeway Bridge connects the Pinellas County Mainland Peninsula to the Barrier Islands, from Belleair Bluffs to Sand Key and Belleair Shore. The former structure was built in 1950, with an expected life span of fifty years. In the 21st century, the design had become obsolete and was too expensive to maintain so a new bridge was built.

The project began in March 2007 and is expected to be completed by spring 2010. So far, $72.3 million has been spent on the infrastructure project, which has stayed on schedule and on budget. This past May, the new Belleair Beach Causeway Bridge opened to two-way traffic. The new Causeway has a projected life-span of seventy-five years and features a sleek design with minimal concrete columns for greater aesthetic enjoyment of the scenery.

The full project includes 1.5 miles of “main” bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway, a small relief bridge, an approaching causeway roadway in Belleair Bluffs, new storm drains, retaining walls, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, curbs and gutters, as well as a widened roadway for the comfort of travelers. A tidal wetland will also be added to the project.

For more information on the project and its plans, visit www.belleaircausewaybridge.com

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