West Winterberry Bridge on Marco Island closed over risk of collapse

The West Winterberry Bridge on Marco Island is closed after being deemed too unsafe to be on. No vehicles, bikes, or pedestrian traffic may cross on it.

The closure is to prevent something worse from happening. The City of Marco Island says the bridge could collapse, so the Florida Department of Transportation shut it down immediately. Barricades are up, blocking the busy bridge.

“Just going to have to take an alternate route from now on, you know? Better to be safe than sorry,” said Rose Kraemer. “I didn’t realize it was that dangerous. I really literally go over it every day, so I mean, it’s kind of scary that I’ve been traveling on it, and it’s not safe.”

The city says the bridge’s post-tensioning system, which reinforces the concrete, is loose The closure is already affecting traffic in the area.

Bob Treworgy lives near the bridge. His concern is traffic on the water. “If you look at a map of the island, there’s got to be hundreds of boats in here, and this is the only way out. It’s the only choice.”

The closure has islanders concerned about how long it may last.

“It’s going to be tough because it’s season now, so there’s a lot more people on the island, and there’s only a few main roads that you can take to get to places,” said Kraemer.

Neighbors in the area say a lot of people use this bridge and not just cars.

If you use this bridge, you’ll want to plan a different route for the time being. There is no word yet from the city on how long it will take to repair.