Rickenbacker & Bear Cut Bridges
The Rickenbacker Causeway was originally constructed in 1940 as a result of an agreement between Miami-Dade County and the Matheson family, which owned the majority of the island of Key Biscayne at that point.
From the outset, the Rickenbacker Causeway has been a toll road, which has enabled it to pay for itself. The Causeway is still self sufficient, but has had some structural problems arise.
Although there were significant improvements made to the William M. Powell Bridge in 1985, the Bear Cut Bridge did not receive the same treatment. The bridge consists of two separate bridges – one that is 70 years old and the other that is 30 years old.
On January 23, 2013, the County Commission adopted an “emergency” ordinance calling for a $31 million “rehabilitation” of the Causeway’s West and Bear Cut Bridges.
The 1944 West and Bear Cut Bridges are comprised of primary, secondary, and tertiary structural elements. The current “emergency” relates to problems with the tertiary elements – the steel beams that bridge the spans between the cantilevered girders. At present, roughly 40% of those steel beams are suffering from varying degrees of corrosion.
Fortunately, there is an easy short-term solution that would not require any demolition of the existing concrete roadbed, and could be completed in a matter of weeks. This solution would involve reinforcing the damaged beams.
In addition, West and Bear Cut Bridges are suffering from deterioration of their primary vertical support structures, which consist of steel-reinforced concrete pilings, which are showing signs of degradation. The signs of degradation being exhibited are cracks along the pilings. Though the pilings have been deemed safe for now, the cracks will continue to form. A solution for this problem is to give support to the pilings on an as-needed basis, which would give the structures a longer life, as a more permanent solution is found.
Cycling, Running, Walking
The Causeway is not just roads and bridges. It is an attraction for people who want to enjoy the outdoors in a spectacular place, safely doing the things that bring happiness and good health. Facilities used for both cars and personal recreation must be safe and efficient for both. The Causeway should become a safe linear park as well as a road and bridge system to efficiently connect two islands to the mainland.
Congestion & Traffic
Traffic and subsequent congestion are common on the Rickenbacker Causeway, frequently at the end of the business day, as well as on weekends and holidays. There are multiple intersections on the Causeway that create stop and go traffic, which can make it difficult to move large numbers of vehicles on and off the islands. On Virginia Key, there are three main intersections which create the biggest traffic problems: the intersection at the Arthur Lamb Jr. Road, the intersection at the entrance to the Miami Seaquarium, and the intersection at Virginia Beach Road. On Key Biscayne the largest choke point is at the entrance to Crandon Park Marina.
Stakeholders
There are many stakeholders who utilize and operate on the Causeway. In addition to the public using the Causeway, there are many organizations who operate along the Causeway including: The Village of Key Biscayne, City of Miami, Miami-Dade County Department of Parks and Recreation, Florida Department of Natural Resources, Florida Department of Transportation, Crandon and Virginia Key Marina and Boat Storage Operators, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami Seaquarium, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, and Virginia Key Beach Park Trust.
In order to ensure that all parties’ needs are accounted for, a public discussion would allow all stakeholders to participate in the design of a new bridge.
Marine Access Limitations
The current Bear Cut Bridge design limits boats passing beneath it, currently only allowing very small vessels to use the channel in Bear Cut which connects Biscayne Bay to the Atlantic Ocean. For vessels navigating from Crandon Park Marina to the Atlantic Ocean, vessels must either travel north to the Powell Bridge and then eastward through Government Cut, or around the southern tip of Key Biscayne, in either case adding many miles to the trip.
Potential Solutions
A new solution for the Bear Cut Bridge should eliminate the traffic choke points and marine access limitations to create new opportunities.
A new vision of the Bear Cut Bridge could include raising it and allowing traffic to circle back, similar to how the Powell Bridge has an exit on the spoil island which allows cars to circle back to the mainland. Additionally, the congested intersections could be removed to reduce stop and go traffic. Further separation of bikes, pedestrians, and cars could eliminate safety concerns as well as frustrations.
Talk about Cycling
Cycling on the Key has increased over the years, which has led to increased conflicts on the road, and has resulted in tragic consequences.
Conclusion
The Rickenbacker Causeway is the only means of vehicular access to Virginia Key and Key Biscayne. There are many points of attraction along the Causeway, all of which rely on a functional and thriving Causeway to function and be accessed by the public. Public access to Virginia Key and Key Biscayne is deeply embedded in our history.
In order to address the numerous issues affiliated with all elements of the Causeway from congestion to the state of disrepair on the Bear Cut Bridge, steps must be taken to improve the Causeway for all users. With new life breathed into the Causeway, Key Biscayne residents and visitors to both Virginia Key and Key Biscayne alike can appreciate all that the islands have to offer with reduced traffic and increased accessibility.