Dania Beach Bridge To Close For Major Renovation
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DANIA BEACH (CBSMiami) - They say timing is everything and for thousands of Canadian snowbirds the timing of a certain bridge repair couldn't have come at worst time.
Visitors from Canada typically begin arriving just after Thanksgiving. They enjoy South Florida's sunny, and warm, winter and generally begin to leave around Easter. One of the more popular beaches with our visitors from the north is Dania Beach, just north of Hollywood's beach.
The main route to and from the beach is Dania Beach Boulevard. This year, however, those wanting to visit the beach or the pier are going to have to follow a bit of detour.
Beginning January 12th, the bridge on Dania Beach Boulevard over the Intracoastal will close for $5.75 million in repairs and upgrades. It's not scheduled to re-open until mid-March, according to the Sun-Sentinel.
That means thousands of beachgoers will have to use Sheridan Street to get to the ocean at one of the busiest times of the year. They can either take Federal Highway to Sheridan Street or, if they are on Dania Beach Boulevard, use a detour at SE 5th Street which will route them south to Sheridan Street and then east to the beach.
Both Hollywood and Dania Beach officials are not very happy that the work couldn't be scheduled for the summer months when the roads are less crowded with locals and tourists.
"It's not going to be very good for our beach and our businesses," Dania Beach Mayor Marco Salvino told the Sun-Sentinel. "Why they picked the time to do it in the middle of the season is beyond me. They have to pick the wintertime when all the tourists are down here."
An estimated 10,300 cars travel daily on Dania Beach Boulevard, compared to 16,100 on Sheridan Street.
The state plans to monitor Sheridan Street while the bridge is closed to see how many cars from Dania Beach Boulevard end up on it.
Some business owners in Dania Beach fear they'll lose money during the bridge closure because people will want to avoid the hassle of using the detour.
The upgrades to bridge include a renovated bridge tender's house, a new bike-friendly riding surface and sidewalk decking across the bridge span, new guardrails and a new paint job.
