Treasure Island commissioners agreed Oct. 20 to let city officials begin talks with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on a swap. The state would take over the drawbridge on the Treasure Island Causeway, and the city would take over a stretch of Gulf Boulevard.
Under the plan, FDOT would take ownership of the movable drawbridge. In return, the city would take over about 2.3 miles of Gulf Boulevard, part of State Road 699 (SR 699). The entire Treasure Island Causeway is 1.8 miles long. The road crosses Boca Ciega Bay and links the island with St. Petersburg.
For the city, the main reason is cost. Property owners pay a half-mill tax to maintain the bridge. The city spends millions of dollars on that work. It includes structural repairs, maintenance of the mechanisms, rebuilding of hydraulic cylinders, replacement of lighting and upkeep of the electrical system.
After the swap, the city would avoid future drawbridge expenses. It would still maintain the two fixed bridges and the rest of the causeway infrastructure. By Volenc’s estimate, resurfacing the stretch of Gulf Boulevard the city would take over would cost about $5 million. The new surface would last another 10 to 15 years. According to his written statement, officials’ preliminary analyses suggest the swap could make financial sense.
There is also a question about the tax. A 2021 ordinance does not automatically end the tax if the bridge changes hands. City representatives agreed to look into the issue.
The causeway is 87 years old. It opened in 1939 to spur development and tourism. The city secured $50 million in federal funds to replace the bridge. The old bridge was replaced in 2007, and the city stopped collecting tolls at that time. A 2020 assessment found that about 65% of trips across the causeway began or ended outside the city.
Talks with FDOT are ongoing, and a final agreement has not yet been signed.
Source: Tampa Bay Times
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Source: Słoneczne Radio
