Traffic shift on Matlacha bridges set for Aug. 24-27
A shift in traffic will be made from the old Matlacha Bridge to the newly constructed bridge the weekend of Aug. 24-27. It had been scheduled for next weekend, Aug. 17-19.
Sarah Clarke, project manager for Lee County DOT, said the plan is to go to one lane of traffic on the old bridge Friday evening, at 9 p.m. and work to get the roadway approaches built and move traffic onto the new bridge.
She said the two lanes of traffic will open before Monday, Aug. 27, at 6 a.m.
Clarke advises residents to be patient during this transition and practice safety while driving through the construction.
She said the contractor plans to begin demolition of the old bridge the week following the traffic switch and expects it to take two to three weeks to complete.
Once the demolition is completed, Clarke said the control house interior still needs to be completed, as well as the completion of the bridge abutments, which are located under the bridge. The bridge handrails and approaches also will be completed over the next few months once the old bridge is demolished.
The last step of the project, Clarke said, is final paving and pavement markings, which will be night work.