Built in 1951 and named after Bay Harbor Islands’ founding mayor, the Shepard Broad Causeway is nearly as old as the town itself.
The Florida Legislature authorized the construction of the bridge just months after Bay Harbor Islands was incorporated in 1947. Four years later, it was up and running, serving as the missing link for a community largely inhabited by World War II veterans. It has since become a major asset for the town, a vital evacuation route for the county’s islands and a resource for fellow neighbors in North Miami looking to reach the beachfront quickly.
But today, the bridge is seeing its final years.
(Wolfson Archive via Youtube)
Bay Harbor founding Mayor Shepard Broad and his daughter, Ann Bussell, during the 1951 ribbon cutting of the Broad Causeway.
“Nothing lasts forever, and it’s time for a new bridge to be built,” said John Bussle, a resident of Bay Harbor Islands and the grandson of former Mayor Shepard Broad himself.
Indeed, nearly everyone seems to be in agreement that the 73-year-old bridge must be replaced. The question is, how? And with what money?
The Plan
The town of Bay Harbor Islands is currently in the middle of a $5.5 million project development and environment (PD&E) study on causeway alternatives for later submission to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the U.S. Coast Guard. Engineering consultant AtkinsRéalis presented those alternatives during a public hearing June 24.
Conceptual designs were presented for both a 65-foot fixed bridge and a 40-foot moveable bridge, both of which would have lifespans of 75 years. The town council already expressed its preference for the high-level fixed bridge through a resolution at a November 2023 council meeting.
(Bay Harbor Islands)
A rendering of a 65-foot high level fixed bridge, which is the town council's preferred alternative.
Either alternative would land farther inland than the current bridge, providing partial coverage of the island to be used recreationally. Both designs include a 14-foot shared-use path on the north side of the bridge overlooking Biscayne Bay, along with a crosswalk and a helix-shaped ramp for pedestrians and bicyclists to reach the space underneath.
Because of its height, the fixed bridge would also allow all watercraft to pass below without the wait times that are typical of drawbridges, thus additionally improving traffic flow on the causeway itself. The fixed bridge would additionally minimize impacts to essential fish habitats and have a cost nearly half that of the lower-level moveable bridge.
The moveable bridge has an estimated cost of $440.9 million, whereas the preferred fixed bridge is expected to cost $247.4 million.
Bay Harbor Islands Mayor Joshua Fuller said the town will be seeking federal, state and possibly county funds to pay for the bridge, though how much will be asked of each entity is still undecided.
(Samantha Morell for Biscayne Times)
Teri D'Amico, Bay Harbor Islands councilmember
Wendy Lasher, an AtkinsRéalis consultant serving as deputy manager for the bridge replacement project, said the town will likely have to pay for at least 20% of the total cost, even with outside funding.
When asked what the town’s plan is in the case that it can’t secure the needed funds, Fuller simply said he’s hopeful that it will.
But another councilmember isn’t so sure.
Doubts Creep In
The town already requested – and was denied – approximately $12 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program in 2023.
This year, the town is trying again, having already submitted an application for about $19.5 million. Within that application, “the town proposes to integrate nature-based environmental treatment into the shallow dry detention ponds on the causeway island.”
“Bioswales, rain gardens and bioretention will be employed, both under bridges and interspersed in open areas, with appropriate vegetation for the expected level of shading,” the application further reads. “These nature-based solutions will increase pollutant uptake within the detention ponds and provide a pleasant environment for recreation on the island.”
Councilmember Teri D’Amico is doubtful that the town will be able to deliver on those environmental solutions to a degree that is impressive enough to secure RAISE grant funding. In her view, there’s one thing in the way of the town’s ability to provide sufficient green space underneath the bridge: a gas station.
The Chevron Effect
(Bay Harbor Islands Files)
The Chevron gas station opened as the Broad Causeway Cities Service Station in 1951.
Located at 1501 Broad Causeway, the Chevron gas station is what residents and visitors pass by just before getting onto the current bridge, and it is preserved underneath the new causeway in both alternative designs.
That’s because, six years ago, the Chevron was deemed to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) by the Florida State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Section 4(f) of the USDOT Act of 1966 requires that transportation projects seeking federal funding must minimize damage to historically eligible structures.
Designed by award-winning industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss and built in 1951, the Chevron station’s eligibility is attributed to its association with the automobile era of the mid-twentieth century and its Miami Modern (MiMo) architectural style.
(Samantha Morell for Biscayne Times)
This Chevron gas station is currently located immediately before Shepard Broad Causeway begins.
To comply with the federal requirement then, the town entered into a memorandum of agreement with SHPO in May that guarantees that the replacement bridge will avoid the Chevron station.
The problem, according to D’Amico, is that the gas station takes away potential green space underneath the new bridge. She’s even more worried about the ramps that would accommodate vehicular access from either side of the causeway to the station, requiring far more concrete and likely higher costs.
“It’s not a park because we’ve let the gas station dictate everything,” D’Amico said. “How are we going to get grants for green space?”
In her eyes, it’s a vicious and futile cycle. In order to get federal funding, it seems the town must preserve the gas station. However, to preserve the station, not only do costs potentially rise, but D’Amico also believes the plan becomes far less appealing when vetted for environmental or recreational uses.
(Bay Harbor Islands)
A rendering shows the Chevron gas station relative to the new causeway.
“We want to keep owning this bridge so that we can avoid another FDOT highway, but that’s exactly what we’re getting, is an FDOT highway,” D’Amico said. “We don’t want a highway. Highways have ramps. We want a bridge.”
Despite the councilmember’s qualms with the gas station, her primary concern is time. Under current plans, the existing causeway will remain in use until the new bridge’s projected completion – but D’Amico doesn’t think it’s going to last.
A Deteriorating Bridge
Shepard Broad Causeway has been considered functionally obsolete since 2010, which means the bridge does not meet current roadway standards. It is also rated as structurally deficient, according to a January 2024 bridge inspection report by FDOT.
Despite the poor ratings, the bridge is still considered safe to use. The town has invested millions of dollars of its toll revenue, including $17 million in 2017 and $3 million in 2023, for repairs to the causeway.
(FDOT)
A January 2024 bridge inspection by the Florida Department of Transportation revealed damage to the Shepard Broad Causeway.
“When the existing bridge was originally constructed in 1951, it was assumed to have a 50-year design life,” said Lasher at the June hearing. “The town has completed numerous rehabilitation projects and emergency temporary repairs in the past and has successfully extended the lifespan of the 73-year-old bridge.”
The bridge is currently estimated to last another 15-25 years before it will have to be decommissioned or replaced.
As the timeline stands now, construction for the new bridge should begin in 2028 for a ribbon cutting in 2031. Lasher characterized the town’s current approach as proactive, “allow[ing] enough time for the proper planning of next steps as the bridge nears the end of its service life.”
The current bridge would remain in use while its replacement is constructed, after which the existing causeway would be demolished. This troubles D’Amico, who has an architectural background herself. She fears such nearby construction could compromise the integrity of the already fragile structure.
(Samantha Morell for Biscayne Times)
Mayor Joshua Fuller
Nevertheless, Fuller assures that safety is the town’s number one priority.
“We make sure that the bridge is safe,” he said. “The state also makes sure the bridge is safe. The issue that we have is, we have to look forward. Just as you see here, bridges aren’t built overnight. We have to plan in advance and start the process before something happens where we put anybody at risk.”
If the current bridge gets decommissioned without a new one to take its place, drivers could be faced with an 11-mile detour using the John F. Kennedy Causeway to the south or a 9-mile detour using NE 163rd St. to the north. With approximately 24,000 cars using the bridge daily – not accounting for population increases over time – its absence could cause a traffic nightmare.
Shepard Broad Causeway is also a critical emergency route within Miami-Dade County, providing “evacuation capabilities to approximately 40,000 residents from the municipalities of Bay Harbor Islands, Bal Harbour, Surfside, Miami Beach and Sunny Isles Beach,” according to the town’s draft submittal report to the state.
“We look at this as an essential project and also a signature project,” said Fuller. “Building any large construction project is always an accomplishment, especially for a small town, but it’s something we need to do and we are taking every step to get it done.”
Residents can review and comment on the existing plans until July 5 by visiting the town’s project website.