Venetian Causeway Bridges

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Other Agencies with Actions or Authorizations: Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Department of Homeland Security, US Coast Guard Description: The Venetian Causeway is approximately 2.5 miles long and is primarily a two-lane undivided facility that provides a major link between the City of Miami and the City of Miami Beach in Miami-Dade County, Florida.  The causeway includes ten fixed span bridges and two bascule leaf span bridges over the Intracoastal Waterway (bridge numbers 874459, 874460, 874461, 874463, 874465, 874466, 874471, 874472, 874473, 874474, 874477, and 874481) extending from Bayshore Drive (City of Miami) to Purdy Avenue (City of Miami Beach).  The purpose of the proposed project is to address identified structural and functional deficiencies of the twelve existing bridges through potential alternatives such as  replacement or rehabilitation.The bridges were originally built in 1926 and have been designated as historic landmarks by the City of Miami and City of Miami Beach; they are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).  The project will take this historic designation into consideration and ensure that any decisions on improvements are coordinated through the County and a Task Force of representatives that reflect the local, state and federal interests of historic preservation.  Given the historicity of the bridge, rehabilitation options will also be explored as part of the potential alternatives during the Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study.The causeway bridges are mainly short span reinforced concrete arch beam bridges.  Each bridge section consists of two 12 travel lanes with 4 bike lanes and 4 sidewalks on each side.  In 1995, the bridges underwent a major rehabilitation consisting of gunite repairs to the superstructure arch beams and full replacement of all sidewalks and railings.  The western bascule bridge and its spans 17 through 41 were also replaced. Presently, the bridges exhibit severe deterioration because of their proximity to the very aggressive marine environment.  Due to new design codes, these bridges do not meet current design and safety requirements.

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