MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – A damaged bridge that’s been closed since Hurricane Irma is finally being replaced.
Back in 2017, Brevard County said the Sea Ray Drive bridge over Sykes Creek in Merritt Island was in danger of collapsing.
The Army Corps of Engineers made temporary repairs to stabilize the bridge before a new one would ultimately replace it.
Brevard County expected a new bridge to be built by 2020, but then FEMA rejected paying for it citing an inspection report that said the county knew the bridge was in a compromised state before the hurricane damage.
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Now, the county is paying about $5 million for a new span that’s finally under construction — to the relief of local businesses.
Sea Ray Drive runs parallel to the Beachline, but while most drivers use the 528, the Harbortown Marina has been inconvenienced with only one way in and out of their business since Irma.
“Even when you worry about emergency vehicles, they only have one way to get here, so it could be scary if one of our customers had a medical emergency,” manager Charles Komon said. “So we’re really happy that they’re finally moving forward and getting this bridge reopened.”
Construction is expected to finish in around a year.
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