{"id":326751,"date":"2026-07-02T01:24:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T01:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/326751\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T01:24:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T01:24:16","slug":"big-carlos-pass-bridge-opens-with-improved-access-and-reef-lee-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/326751\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Carlos Pass Bridge opens with improved access and reef | Lee County"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Bridge<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The underside of the new Big Carlos Pass Bridge showcases the architectural design of its support piers above Big Carlos Pass.<\/p>\n

Evan Williams<\/p>\n

The new Big Carlos Pass Bridge connects the south end of Estero Island with Lovers Key while sections of the old bridge now lie about 4 nautical miles west on the Gulf floor \u2014 the latest addition to Lee County’s artificial reef program.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lee officials, staff and other local and state representatives gathered in the bridge’s shade June 30 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the project’s completion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cToday we celebrate more than a new bridge,\u201d said Lee County Commissioner David Mulicka, whose District 3 encompasses Big Carlos Pass. \u201cWe’re investing in safer transportation, improved connectivity and the long-term future of our community for residents, business owners and visitors.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Officials<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Lee County officials, community leaders and project partners cut the ceremonial ribbon June 30 during the dedication of the new Big Carlos Pass Bridge connecting Estero Island and Lovers Key.<\/p>\n

Lee County government<\/p>\n

He added that the artificial reef will enhance marine habitat while providing new opportunities for fishing, diving and ecotourism.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Initial plans to replace the old drawbridge date to 2017 before further study and public meetings turned the proposal into reality. In February 2023, Lee commissioners approved the project’s $90.8 million construction contract with Superior Construction Group. The Federal Highway Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation contributed $25 million to offset the cost.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The new fixed-span bridge has 60 feet of clearance for boats. It includes one travel lane in each direction, bicycle lanes, a 6-foot-wide sidewalk on the north side of Estero Boulevard and a 10-foot shared-use path on the south side. The bridge is expected to last about 75 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Big<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Construction crews build the new Big Carlos Pass Bridge alongside the former drawbridge before traffic shifted to the completed fixed-span bridge.<\/p>\n

Lee County government<\/p>\n

Construction crews kept traffic flowing on the old bridge while building the new span alongside it. After the drawbridge was demolished, crews repurposed about 2,400 tons of concrete \u2014 including old slabs, piles and pier caps \u2014 to create the Big Carlos Bridge Artificial Reef, about 4 nautical miles west of Big Carlos Pass (26\u00b0 22.850’N, -81\u00b0 57.733’W).\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat concrete is durable and stable, and it’s been stacked up out there to create structure that is an immediate habitat for our marine life,\u201d said Lee Natural Resources Marine Project Manager Lesli Haynes. \u201cAnd it helps them thrive because it gives them a new area for feeding, reproducing and to hide from predation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"New<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The completed Big Carlos Pass Bridge spans Big Carlos Pass between Estero Island and Lovers Key.<\/p>\n

Evan Williams<\/p>\n

The reef was funded in part by a donation from the Courtney E. Towle Trust, Lee staff said. It is the latest addition to the county’s artificial reef program, which includes more than 20 offshore sites.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Construction is expected to begin this fall on a public beach access area with parking beneath the south side of the bridge, accessible by a frontage road off Estero Boulevard. The project will include 74 parking spaces, including ADA-accessible, motorcycle and bicycle parking, as well as restroom facilities and landscaping improvements, said Lee Parks & Recreation Director Mack Young.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The underside of the new Big Carlos Pass Bridge showcases the architectural design of its support piers above…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":326752,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[32047,24854,209,211,210,129608,356,32045],"class_list":["post-326751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-artificial-reef","tag-big-carlos-pass-bridge","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news","tag-estero-island","tag-lee-county","tag-lovers-key"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=326751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/326751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/326752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=326751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=326751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=326751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}