A letter sent recently by the Islamorada mayor is urging the Florida governor and the state transportation department to cancel construction of a multi-million-dollar pedestrian bridge over U.S. 1 in Islamorada.
Building activities related to the bridge foundations are expected to begin in several weeks near Founders Park, according to Florida Department of Transportation Outreach Specialist Sergies Duarte. The village has received no formal response from FDOT to the letter sent on Jan. 20.
Council, at its Jan. 14 meeting, was unanimous in its decision to allow Mayor Buddy Pinder to write a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis and FDOT’s District 6 Secretary James Wolfe to request a halt to the state-funded, $4.68-million pedestrian bridge. It came following talks dating back to last November over the project, which brought questions and more information from a new council.
The letter states that FDOT’s stated objective for the pedestrian bridge is to improve safety by providing a pedestrian connection over U.S. 1. But the letter also refers to a 2016 feasibility study FDOT conducted that determined the bridge, then estimated to cost $1.2 million, was unwarranted. The project proceeded, however, when FDOT correspondence to the village recommended a pedestrian bridge with elevators.
“Based on the significantly increased project cost, the recent concerns raised by our current elected officials about the need for this project and the visual impact to our community aesthetics, the Village Council is requesting that FDOT reconsider this project before construction advances further,” the letter states.
Pinder’s letter to state officials also encouraged FDOT to seek alternative options for enhanced safety near Founders Park. So far, FDOT has spent a little more than $1.1 million on the pedestrian bridge project.
Calls to cancel the project came with questions and concerns about whether FDOT would invest in future infrastructure projects in the village. It drew Lisa Siegel, resident of Old Highway who lives directly across from the bridge’s proposed location, to reach out to state officials including Wolfe.
A response came back from Wolfe, which stated that the outcome would have no “bearing on any other transportation funding for the village or county.”
Three official actions were taken by the past village council related to the pedestrian bridge. The first was on Feb. 1, 2018, when a resolution was passed accepting FDOT’s recommendation for a steel truss pedestrian bridge with stairs and elevators. Council also agreed to maintain the elevator with a forthcoming agreement for approval.
On Dec. 13, 2018, council approved a resolution for the bridge’s design. On June 27, 2019, a resolution for a maintenance agreement between FDOT and the village was approved. That expense is estimated around $3,500 a year.
