Another malfunction at Snake Creek Bridge left traffic at a standstill for more than an hour on Feb. 17. Per Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay, a barrier stuck in a down position was fixed after a technician from Miami-Dade came to Islamorada to resolve the problem.
Cars lined U.S. 1 in both directions, as well as the Old Highway. Traffic heading south went well beyond MM 91 even after the barrier problem was resolved.
It’s the first malfunction of the Keys’ only bascule bridge so far this year. Last September, Snake Creek Bridge remained in an upright position after a vessel struck a power line. The bridge experienced several issues in 2020 —including two incidents just 12 days apart in June that kept vehicles idle for 20 minutes and one hour.
In July 2019, Snake Creek bridge saw repairs to its electric and structural components, as well as cleaning and painting of bridge steel structures. In May 2020, the Florida Department of Transportation announced that work was complete on the bridge — with costs to repair and rehab it amounting to $1.6 million.
Built in 1981, Snake Creek Bridge at MM 86 is the only remaining drawbridge operating in the Keys. In the late 2000s, the drawbridge over Jewfish Creek in Key Largo was replaced by a beam bridge. In Marathon, the Boot Key Harbor drawbridge was closed and abandoned in 2009.
Florida Department of Transportation officials are looking into converting Snake Creek Bridge to a high-level fixed bridge to keep traffic moving. A study on the replacement continues, according to FDOT. The project kicked off in 2017. Residents had the chance to review and comment on four options during a May 2019 public meeting at Founders Park Community Center.
A project development and environmental study is the next step, according to FDOT spokeswoman Tish Burgher. That study is in FDOT’s five-year work program for fiscal year 2026. The estimated cost for the study is $2 million.
“A PD&E Study takes about two years to complete,” she said. “Subsequent project phases, including final design, right-of-way acquisition and construction are not currently programmed or funded. If the project proceeds beyond PD&E, final design will be programmed and last about two years as well.”
