End of an era: Stretch drawbridge out of commission for good: Southbound lane of expansive new span opens

Oct 22, 2008 (Florida Keys Keynoter - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- GVA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- The draw span at Jewfish Creek has gone up -- and it's not coming down. With access ramps leading from the new Jewfish Creek Bridge to nearby businesses now open, the old draw span was locked into its upright position Monday, apparently for the final time until its pending demolition.

"No one will drive over it again," said Abbie Kelley, spokeswoman for the bridge-replacement project.

Work begins this week to remove the historic but aged and badly deteriorating draw span. "They have to take it apart piece by piece," Kelley said.

Built during World War II to provide military access to the Key West Navy base, the draw span over Jewfish Creek at mile marker 108 has remained operational even since the May opening of the new bridge.

The old highway and draw span were used as an access road to serve Gilbert's Resort and the Anchorage Resort, but new access roads finished Monday rendered the draw span obsolete.

Before May, getting stopped at the draw span was a rite of passage for both Florida Keys residents and visitors arriving to Key Largo.

The new bridge, 65 feet high, allows boats to pass beneath the span without halting motorists.

A notice to mariners on the draw span status will be sent out by the U.S. Coast Guard. Currently there are no indications that demolition of the draw span will hinder navigation through Jewfish Creek, Kelley said.

The southbound lane over the new bridge opened to traffic with little fanfare Thursday. Before, both directions of traffic shared the northbound side of the bridge in a temporary configuration.

Work on the span continued at press time Tuesday but the new bridge essentially is complete, Kelley said.

"They're doing last-minute things like installing reflectors, striping and making sure everything is safe."

The last major step was opening the access ramps leading off and onto the new bridge from the Jewfish Creek area. That happened Monday evening. Motorists should take their time until they get used to the ramps, which lead down to a rotary intersection, Kelley said.

"Give the locals a month or so to get used to the layout, and it will seem like it's always been there," she said.

The $168 million project will not be considered fully complete until next summer, after much of the fill that once supported U.S. 1 near the creek is removed. Removing the fill is intended to restore a more natural water flow.

Crews building the Florida East Coast Railway back in the 1900s originally placed the fill across Lake Surprise.

Some conservationists had suggested that leaving the fill in place, where it has been for more than a century, may be less harmful than removing it.

"After an extensive study by the environmental agencies, it was determined that removing the fill will have the best benefit for the environment," Kelley said.

"We're being as careful as possible to maintain water quality during the excavation."

Excavation work by crews with contractor Granite Construction have started.

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