Micco Bridge construction project raises concerns for residents

MICCO, Fla. - Some residents in Brevard County are concerned the upcoming construction project on the Micco Bridge will cut off an essential lifeline for nearly a year. 

Ed Bautista takes the bridge daily. 

"At least three to four times a day," he said.

To the grocery store, the gas station, his doctor's office, and the gym.

He expects daily errands will take much longer when the county's bridge construction project starts. 

"There in 10 to 15 minutes," said Bautista, "Imagine it'll be 40 - 45 minutes." 

FOX 35 News has heard about this project from concerned neighbors for the last two days. The county says the over 80-year-old bridge has "reached its life expectancy" and needs to be rebuilt. During the expected eight months of construction, the roughly 150 families at the Lakes at St. Sebastian would have to take a detour to Babcock Street to Interstate 95. 

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"Eight months is not a minor inconvenience," said Jeff Meaney, a neighbor. "It's kind of major. I go to Home Depot. A 10-minute ride now would be 40 minutes."

Beyond the annoyance of the inconvenience, some said they are concerned this detour is now their only way out of the community and limits access to resources.

"I am a bit outraged. It would close us off from the mainland," said Bautista. 

"Fire Rescue, how fast can they get to these homes to put out a fire?" asked neighbor Sharon Meaney.

The county said the original construction project included a temporary bridge for residents to use. However, it couldn't afford it when costs jumped from about $2.5 million to $3.5 million. 

"Costs have risen quite a bit," said John Tobia, District 3 Commissioner. 

Commissioner Tobia said the county has worked with local agencies to alter services. 

For example, Tobia said it plans to stage fire and rescue equipment near the community. A footbridge will be installed to give emergency crews access to the area during construction. 

"Could add one to two minutes to response time," said Tobia, "We looked at a slew of issues. Everything from the postal service – they're going to rearrange how mail is delivered, to Fire Rescue – who will station a vehicle out there, to the sheriff's office – who said they will patrol differently, so they don't lose a minute of response time. There's still more work to be done. We're looking to make sure citizens remain safe as humanly possible." 

Brevard Public Schools said the construction will impact two bus routes. The district said it plans to use detour routes to get students to and from school on time. Still, some residents say the plan isn't good enough for them.

"I don't think they went about it the right way," said George Bonderenko. "It is a lifeline to folks."

The county says the project will start on Jan. 30.