Osprey Avenue Bridge Reopening Date Set

SARASOTA, FL — Motorists will once again be able to use Sarasota’s Osprey Avenue Bridge starting this Friday. According to the city, the bridge should be reopened to traffic by 4 p.m. July 14.

The Osprey Avenue bridge was closed down to motorists in August 2016 for the installation of two microtunnel segments that are part of a wastewater lift station project.

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“City staff and the project team extend our thanks to businesses and residents for their patience during this work,” Sarasota Utility Director Mitt Tidwell said in a Wednesday statement. “We know construction can be an inconvenience, but once we complete this project, our community will have a more reliable, environmentally sound wastewater system.”

The lift station project called for tunneling under Hudson Bayou and Luke Wood Park, which required the closing of the bridge. Work is now under way to install 36-inch diameter sewer mains inside 60-inch steel casings. The first phase of the lift station project is almost done, the city says.

The city received bids for the second phase of the lift station project on July 10. The final phase of the lift station project will involve installation of gravity sewer mains. Work is expected to take place in 2019.

After the project is finished, wastewater that now flows to Lift Station 7 will be transferred to the new Lift Station 87.

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Photo courtesy of the City of Sarasota