Home Design-Bid-Build Big Carlos Pass Bridge

Big Carlos Pass Bridge

The drawbridge over Big Carlos Pass served Fort Myers Beach, Florida, for nearly 60 years, but the movable span required continuous staffing and maintenance. Superior Construction is building its replacement: a new fixed bridge with 60 feet of vertical clearance that eliminates the need for an operator while accommodating marine traffic below. Connecting Estero Island to Lovers Key along Estero Boulevard, the new structure establishes a permanent link across the pass with dedicated space for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.

Project Highlights
  • 2,300 linear feet of new bridge structure with 14 spans reaching 75 feet high
  • 1,500-foot temporary trestle system requiring approximately 20,000 linear feet of driven pile
  • Multi-modal design with pedestrian sidewalk, bike lanes and shared-use path
  • Fishing pier and artificial reef created from demolished bridge materials
Client
Lee County Board of County Commissioners
Location
Fort Myers Beach, Florida
Work Performed

Bridge replacement, marine construction, deep foundations, demolition, environmental coordination

Industry
Transportation
Delivery Methods
Design-Bid-Build

The Work

Rather than work from barges in the exposed waters of Big Carlos Pass, Superior built a temporary trestle system spanning the entire 1,500-foot pass. The trestle provides stable access for crews and equipment while reducing weather-related disruptions during hurricane season. Construction of the trestle itself required drilling and driving thousands of feet of pile through variable subsurface conditions.

The caprock layer proved especially unpredictable, with pile depths varying significantly across the site. The team adapted drilling methods and equipment configurations to address conditions that changed from location to location. Additional subsurface exploration during construction revealed rock formations that required augering before pile installation could continue.

With the trestle system nearing completion, work is advancing on the permanent bridge piers. Each pier requires a seal slab and cap to support the precast concrete beams that will carry the bridge deck. The team coordinates with design engineers and specialty subcontractors to sequence foundation work, concrete placement and beam installation. 

Through a cost-saving initiative, Superior collaborated with Lee County and the design team to eliminate one land-based cofferdam and construct a pier cap monolithically rather than in two phases with post-tensioning, reducing both schedule duration and long-term maintenance requirements.

Project Gallery

The Results

The new Big Carlos Pass Bridge is designed to provide 75 years of service with minimal maintenance, replacing a movable span that required constant operational support. The fixed 60-foot clearance eliminates the need for bridge openings, improving travel-time reliability for the thousands of daily users moving between Estero Island and Lovers Key. Dedicated bike lanes, pedestrian facilities and a shared-use path create safer, more accessible routes for non-vehicular travel across the pass.

The project also includes a fishing pier and the creation of an artificial reef using materials from the demolished bridge, expanding recreational access and supporting marine habitat. Once complete, the new structure will strengthen the transportation network connecting barrier islands along Florida’s Gulf Coast and support both the resident community and the region’s tourism economy.

“That’s what we do — we want to chip in and contribute to the communities and help people,” said Superior Area Manager Toby Mazzoni.

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