DUNEDIN, Fla. — The aging Dunedin Causeway and its tide relief bridges are set for replacement after a study found them to be outdated and short of today’s engineering standards for standing up to water damage during strong storms.
"They're designed to withstand…hurricane force winds. It's the water erosion that's hard to stop,” Pinellas County roadway and bridge manager David Deranzio said.
The Sanibel Causeway in Lee County is a prime example. In 2022, storm surge from Hurricane Ian destroyed the causeway, severing the Sanibel and Captiva islands from the mainland.
Deranzio says Pinellas County manages 146 bridges locally, and all of them undergo full FDOT inspections every two years, with that timeline shortened if there are any problems. He says the county also has a team that works exclusively on regular maintenance.
“We also have staff that are dedicated 100 percent to bridge repairs. So, we have a staff that does what we call preventative maintenance. So, they go up, they clean the scuppers, clean the bridge joints out, do small spall repairs, small crack repairs,” he said. “We also have corrective crews that maintain the larger repairs… to make sure that it’s safe and usable for the public.”
Right now, Pinellas County is in the process of designing new bridges to replace the Dunedin Causeway, with construction set to start in 2028. The county says the bridges are "functionally obsolete" because they’re too narrow. The new bridges will have wider lanes and shoulder widths along with pedestrian sidewalks.
"Functionally obsolete is a general term when something just doesn't work like it's supposed to work according to some standards that are set at the present moment," Greg Batista of G. Batista Engineering and Construction said.
"For example, houses can be functionally obsolete if you start adding bedrooms inside a kitchen and a bathroom in the middle of a living room. So, it’s not that there’s a danger, it’s just that it needs an upgrade, so to speak,” he said.
Across Pinellas County, 10 Investigates counted at least 60 bridges that are functionally obsolete and at least nine that are structurally deficient.
"That means, okay, there might be something wrong with it and we watch it or we make the repair. But, yeah, it's nothing to be alarmed about,” said Deranzio. “Before it's even a hazard, we're going to close the bridge."
The main Dunedin Causeway and tide relief bridges have a 2031 target date for completion. It is one of several bridge replacement projects happening countywide.
"We need to take care of our bridges," Batista said. "If not, they're not going to do so good by us."
Emerald Morrow is an investigative reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. Like her on Facebook and follow her on X. You can also email her at emorrow@10tampabay.com.
