HOLMES BEACH, Fla. — Cherie Bennett visits Anna Maria Island every couple of weeks.
“AMI is our own little piece of heaven on Earth,” she said.
Normally, the drive to the island from Lakewood Ranch, where Bennett lives, takes 45 minutes. Monday, however, the drive took a lot longer.
“Leaving Lakewood Ranch, GPS told me about an hour. It took me an hour and a half,” Bennett said. “It took us 35 minutes to get 1.6 miles.”
That’s because one of the lanes over the Manatee Avenue drawbridge was closed, which caused heavier than normal traffic to and from the island as traffic traveling both to and from the island took turns using the remaining lane.
According to Manatee County, a water main pipe underneath the bridge, which carries drinking water to the island, suffered a break last week. A 1,000 span of the 16-inch ductile iron pipe broke apart and fell into the Anna Maria Sound. Several pipe holders were ripped from the bridge when the pipe fell, which damaged the concrete in several places.
A contractor is on-site working on the repair, but it will take time and require more lane closures.
“Those closures themselves are during the day, and that’s for safety reasons for the construction crews,” said Jim Renneberg, the Chief Utilities Engineer for Manatee County.
One lane over the bridge will be closed Tuesday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The county said the initial phase of work, which is currently ongoing, should be done before the busy July 4th holiday weekend begins when thousands of visitors will be traveling to Anna Maria Island.
“We’re able to start and to complete the project by Friday of this week is our expectation,” Renneberg said.
Until then, Bennett said it’s best to leave early, be patient, and be prepared for lots of traffic.
“Put some snacks in the car for the kids and, you know, take your time,” Bennett said. “Listen to some music.”
For now, as the pipe is repaired, another water line located at the Cortez Bridge is supplying water to the island.
Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth said water pressure is currently good. She hopes the initial phase of work does conclude before the busy weekend.
According to Manatee County, a second phase of repair will occur after the holiday period and after contractors are able to secure the proper materials. The exact timing of that phase is still uncertain.
