Matlacha Bridge stuck open
On Sunday many Pine Islanders learned they either couldn’t leave or couldn’t return to the island the Matlacha Bridge wouldn’t close.
“Traffic was backed up as far as the eye could see for at least 30 minutes,” Jim Frock, owner of Seven Seas Bait and Tackle said. “Whenever they raise the bridge, I think they are having problems getting it closed. Sooner or later they won’t raise the bridge because they will be afraid it won’t close.”
The Matlacha bridge, at a cost of almost $23 million, $5 million over the initial budget, was a project that took longer than projected to complete. Construction began in October 2010 with a deadline for completion set at a maximum of 24 months. Deadlines were set, extensions were granted and the bridge took nearly three years before Archer Western Contractors transferred operations of the bridge to Lee County.
In a press release received at the Pine Island Eagle Monday morning the Department of Transportation said, “The bridge is operational. There is no alignment problem. We are looking into whether it’s an electrical problem with the locking mechanism,” said Dave Loveland, director of Lee County Department of Transportation. “A meeting will be held this week with the company that assists the county with bridge maintenance to discuss this.”
Whether Lee County will seek damages for cost and time overruns is still unclear. “Please understand there are contractual issues that prevent further discussion of delays and damages at this time,” Michael D. Jacob, Managing Assistant County Attorney, said. “Answering this question would require discussing contractual matters in dispute and as such we will not be providing further comment.”