From 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, the Cortez drawbridge only has to open at a quarter past and a quarter to the hour. Outside those hours it opens on signal. The Manatee Avenue bridge at the north end of Holmes Beach runs on the same federal schedule, so both of the island's drawbridges open on the same quarter-hours under 33 CFR 117.287. The Cortez span opened in 1956 and was expected to last 50 years, according to an FDOT video covered by the AMI Sun.
The $123 million project to replace it, which FDOT says covers about 1,200 days, was set to start this month. Even so, the drawbridge Holmes Beach drives over today stays in service into 2028. What changes sooner is everything around it.
The New Bridge Goes Up Beside the Old One
FDOT is building the replacement in two phases. In Phase 1, crews build the northern half of the new bridge next to the existing one. Once that half is done, traffic moves onto it. Phase 2 tears down the old bridge and builds the rest of the new one. Both phases are built from barges and temporary trestles. FDOT's current project page expects the Phase 2 traffic shift in mid-2028.
The new bridge will look little like the one it replaces. The drawbridge is 2,616 feet long on 53 spans. The new fixed bridge will be 2,930 feet long on 19 spans, with curves at each end that bring it back into line with the existing road. It will give boats at least 65 feet of vertical clearance over a 100-foot-wide channel marked by a fender system. Each direction gets a 12-foot travel lane and a 10-foot shoulder, and there's a 10-foot sidewalk on each side.
For boaters, the Coast Guard's notice says it does not expect navigation impacts at this time. It asks mariners to keep clear of the work and use caution, and it says advance notice will go out if impacts come up.
Why the Start Slipped From June
According to the AMI Sun's report on the Oct. 20 county commission meeting, the first stage of construction was supposed to begin in June. Manatee County's project to lay a new water main under the Intracoastal Waterway is well behind schedule, and the old main sits where SEMA Construction has to drive the first pilings. Under its agreement with FDOT, the county has to finish certain utility relocation work before bridge construction can start.
The county settled that delay with land rather than money. Commissioners voted 5–1 to license the former Seafood Shack property in Cortez to SEMA as a staging area for four years. The county bought that property in 2024 for $13 million. In return, SEMA agreed not to seek delay costs from the county or the state. Manatee County Utilities Chief Engineer Chad Butzow estimated those costs at about $1.4 million.
What the Cortez Staging Yard Is For
The staging site explains why traffic on the bridge should keep moving. The license covers two parcels. Parcel 1, at the south end of the property, holds semi-permanent structures, including a trestle for crane access. Parcel 2 runs along the water north of the humpback bridge on 127th Street West. SEMA's representative told commissioners it would serve as overflow parking for workers and as space to handle and store materials. Crews would also assemble forms and rebar cages there and load them straight onto barges.
That matters for anyone crossing the bridge. SEMA expects more than 3,000 truckloads over the contract, an average of three to five a day. Without Parcel 2, the contractor said it would have relied heavily on the state right-of-way in front of Tide Tables, and that would have meant daily lane closures on Cortez Road. FDOT's Dustin Spears told the AMI Sun that the extra parcel lets crews work straight from the north side of the bridge instead of staging on the south side and moving equipment under the bridge.
Neighbors north of the bridge saw it differently. Residents told commissioners they had been told in July that Parcel 2 would only hold overflow parking for light vehicles. They said they learned shortly before the meeting that the site map had been relabeled to add contractor material assembly. One resident said more than 300 people pass the site to reach their neighborhoods, which have one way in and out to Cortez Road.
The agreement also requires SEMA to build a docking, storage and fueling area for the county's Gulf Islands Ferry on the property, and to tear down and remove a house that stands there.
The Changes That Arrive First
FDOT held a public information session at Kirkwood Church, 6101 Cortez Road West, on Oct. 20. There, Spears gave Nov. 9 as the tentative start. The first visible work is in the water at the east end of the bridge, on its north side. Crews build a temporary trestle and drive pilings one pier at a time, and each group must be approved before they move to the next pier. Cortez Road won't close completely. Individual lanes will close from time to time, though, and when he spoke with the AMI Sun Spears was direct about the timing:
"Those can happen any time during the day."
Here is how the schedule shown at the session lines up for someone leaving Holmes Beach. FDOT notes the dates may change.
| When | What changes on your trip |
|---|---|
| This fall | South sidewalk closes, and people on foot move to the north side. Construction begins on Hunters Point Way, a new road connecting 127th Street West with Tide Tables |
| Around the turn of the year | Traffic moves slightly south at both approaches onto a temporary diversion road. Hunters Point Way opens |
| Spring 2027 | 127th Street West closes temporarily, with traffic detoured via Hunters Point Way. Phase 1 wraps up after this stage |
| 2028 | Traffic moves onto the new northern half, and demolition of the 1956 bridge begins |
| Summer 2029 | The full new bridge opens to traffic, with final paving at the tie-ins |
| Late 2029 | Construction ends with punch-list items |
The fall work also includes a stormwater retention pond, Manatee County sewer work and the start of seawall construction.
Reaching Bridge Street and the Mainland Without the Car
A Holmes Beach errand toward the south end of the island doesn't have to touch the construction zone at all. Manatee County's free Route 5 Anna Maria Island Trolley runs Gulf Drive between the Anna Maria City Pier and Coquina Beach every 20 minutes. It operates from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., every day of the year. The Route 5 timetable includes Cortez Road and Bridge Street stops.
For trips to downtown Bradenton, the Gulf Islands Ferry goes over the water instead of over the bridge. It runs Thursday through Sunday between the Bradenton Riverwalk, the Historic Bridge Street Pier and Coquina Beach, and the operator puts the trip at about 50 minutes. The Coquina Beach stop at the Bayside South Boat Ramp opened Sept. 2, the AMI Sun reported. Round-trip fares on the operator's ticket page:
- Riverwalk to Bridge Street: $11 for adults; $7 for seniors 60 to 79, military and children 4 to 18
- Bridge Street to Coquina Beach: $9 for adults; $5 for seniors, military and children
- Free on either route: riders 80 and older, and children under 3
The operator also posts weather cancellations on its homepage and takes calls and texts at (727) 200-6487.
Questions about how a multiyear bridge project shapes daily life and plans at your end of the island are part of the local knowledge we share with clients. If you're weighing a move on Anna Maria Island, or just want a clear read on how the Cortez work could affect your timing, Leisa Erickson Group is glad to talk it through. Let's Connect.
