SR 679 (Pinellas Bayway) Structure “E” Over Intracoastal Waterway

The purpose of this 2-mile project is to improve a vital connection and hurricane evacuation route for the community of Tierra Verde and visitors to Fort De Soto Park. The replacement two-lane high-level fixed span on a new alignment will serve as an essential, uninterrupted passage for road users, pedestrians, bicyclists, and marine traffic for its 75-year design life. The design-build project involves milling and resurfacing SR 679, installing new LED highway and pier lighting systems, constructing retaining walls with aesthetic treatments at bridge approaches, adding a shared-use path, replacing the existing Tierra Verde and Boca Ciega seawalls, demolishing the existing bascule bridge, and realigning the intersection at Madonna Boulevard via adding a roundabout. The team developed various Alternative Technical Concepts, in collaboration with FDOT, to meet the goals and commitments of the project, overcome geometric challenges, and provide the best overall value to FDOT. Utility coordination, permitting with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and SWFWMD, coordination with U.S. Coast Guard and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), environmental impacts, and public involvement will play a large role in the project.