Bear Cut Bridge study advances at Miami-Dade meeting | Key Biscayne

A new Bear Cut Bridge? Yes, it could happen.

On Thursday, a milestone first step toward possibly replacing the critical link between Key Biscayne and Miami was successfully taken at the Miami-Dade County Infrastructure, Innovation, and Technology meeting.

Board Chair Micky Steinberg, Danielle Cohen Higgins and Keon Hardemon approved a resolution sponsored by Commissioner Raquel Regalado by consent, calling for a Memorandum of Agreement between Miami-Dade County and the Florida Department of Transportation for the “Bear Cut Bridge over the Biscayne Bay Project Development and Environment Study.” 

The next step would be a final vote from a future full County Commission meeting, most likely Oct. 6.

The PD&E Study, to evaluate the rehabilitation or total replacement of the aging Bear Cut Bridge, is fully funded with Rickenbacker Causeway toll revenues.

Village Manager Steve Williamson told Islander News he was excited about the prospects.

“This is a significant milestone for the Village of Key Biscayne,” he said. “First, this allows Miami-Dade County to move forward with the critical work needed to replace the existing Bear Cut Bridge. As our residents know, this bridge is our lifeline to the mainland, making its long-term reliability essential to the Village’s safety, security, and resilience. Resuming this effort brings us one step closer to delivering that replacement.”

Williamson also thanked Commissioner Regalado for her efforts as well as the teamwork it has taken to reach this point.

“Second, we appreciate the collaboration with Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works to ensure that the study’s recommendations align with the Rickenbacker Causeway’s Shoreline Concept. This coordination will help ensure the bridge serves both current transportation needs and the long-term vision for a raised roadway through Virginia Key,” he said.

“This is a strong example of intergovernmental partnership among the Village, Miami-Dade County, Commissioner Regalado, and our partners at The Underline, working together to advance infrastructure solutions that improve mobility, resiliency, and connectivity for our community.”

Reports a year ago indicated the price tag of fully rehabilitating or replacing the bridge could fall anywhere between $60 million and $100 million.

Under the MOA, the County would be obligated to conduct a PD&E Study in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Approval of this agreement is required to secure NEPA approval and maintain eligibility for future federal funding.

The Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) will conduct the PD&E Study consistent with federal environmental requirements, and FDOT, as the lead federal agency, will provide oversight, technical guidance and support.

DTPW Highway Bridge Engineering Manager Ryan Fisher, P.E., will oversee implementation of the agreement and the PD&E Study.

In April of 2025, Regalado spoke to Key Biscayne officials and residents, saying she thought it’s time to “Go big or go home,” preferring a 50-year solution rather than 10- or 15-year reinforcements to a bridge constructed in 1944.

It was subsequently widened in 1983 and 2013, “but the bridge has experienced continual deterioration due to age, coastal conditions and high traffic volumes,” the memorandum from Deputy Mayor Roy Coley reads. “It is currently classified as functionally obsolete, requiring frequent significant repairs to maintain safe operations and mobility.”

The Rickenbacker Causeway is a primary connection to I-95 and U.S. 1, serving residents, workers, recreational users and emergency response operations. The corridor also supports multi-modal transportation, including designated bicycle lanes and shared-use paths that are heavily utilized for recreation and commuting.

This week, in an Islander News commentary detailing the projects planned for Virginia Key and the Causeway, Key Biscayne Community Foundation Executive Director Melissa White said that all the projects depend heavily on a working road system. “Without a functional bridge and roadway system, everything else will fail,” White wrote. The article was co-authored by Rumya Sundaram, KBCF’s director of environmental science and operations manager

This new study process will identify environmental, engineering and community considerations; obtain stakeholder and agency feedback; and document required project commitments in the final NEPA document.

Committee members Vicki Lopez and Roberto J. Gonzalez were absent from Thursday’s meeting, but a quorum was still in effect for the meeting, which began with a moment of silence to honor the lives lost in the 9/11 attacks 25 years ago.

There were no public speakers on any of the agenda items.

Meanwhile, Regalado also has begun a study, partly funded by the Village of Key Biscayne, on how a proposed safer, upper-level highway, or viaduct, on the Rickenbacker Causeway with green space and beach access below, called “The Shoreline,” could be financed, or even if the project would be possible within environmental guidelines.

To read the MOA file: Legislative Matter