by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
The City Council unanimously urged last month the Florida Department of Transportation to “replace or alter the grating of the Mathews Bridge.”
A long-time public concern, FDOT officials confirmed last month that those steps are currently being taken.
“We’ve seen the legislation and we plan to respond,” said FDOT spokesperson Mike Goldman, “but there are a variety of options and we are reviewing all of them. Those discussions are probably taking place as we speak.”
Goldman said the FDOT had been studying ways to improve the bridge for some time, but the Council’s concerns bolstered those efforts.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Their resolution is a reinforcing indicator that we should be looking at the issues associated with the bridge.”
However, Goldman was unsure when specific improvements would be announced or when any work would begin.
“Again, that’s still under discussion and it will be a complicated process no matter how we decide to move forward,” he said. “All I can say is that we’ll get started at the appropriate time.”
Improvements, said Goldman, could include adding more traction on the bridge, installing signage that would caution drivers about the grating or possibly plugging individual grates to make them more stable and drivable.
No cost estimates have been released, though earlier this month Goldman said bridge work could cost more than $12 million.