The sun will set on the D.H. “Banty” Saunders Drawbridge as the Florida Department of Transportation opens new access to North Hutchinson Island next Friday.
The new State Road A1A North Causeway Bridge will open at 8 a.m. May 15 “weather permitting,” according to an April 30 FDOT release. Drivers will be able to access the bridge directly from the U.S. 1/A1A intersection in mainland Fort Pierce.
Construction of the new 1.2-mile bridge network cost the state $115.9 million, according to FDOT spokesperson Guillermo Canedo. The price is an increase over the reported $111.5 million on the FDOT website.
The new bridge, like its counterpart connecting South Hutchinson Island, will allow for greater volumes of traffic by land and sea. Its 85-foot height scales over boats in the causeway and the nearby Taylor Creek Harbor.
Drivers will be able to navigate one 12-foot lane in either direction upon the bridge’s opening.
Pedestrians and bicycle riders will also be given two “barrier-protected” sidewalks bordering the car lanes. One 12-foot shared-use path will line the westbound lane while an 8-foot sidewalk borders the eastbound lane. Bikers may also use 7-foot-wide lanes shouldering the car lanes.
Additional construction on the new bridge will continue until its anticipated late 2027 completion date, FDOT releases say. More improvements underway include new footpaths and access roads near the Florida East Coast Railroad and Old Dixie Highway.
The bridge succeeds the aging Saunders Drawbridge, built in 1954, as the sole access between mainland St. Lucie and North Hutchinson Island. That bridge will close to foot and car traffic upon the new bridge’s opening.
In addition, builders will demolish the drawbridge and move its debris to an artificial coral reef approximately 4 miles northeast of the Fort Pierce Inlet, county records show.