All I have been hearing from everyone off the Key (Casey Key) lately is. “What are you going to do when the Blackburn Point Bridge is closed for the month of June?” Yes it is going to be a little inconvenient when we want to go up to Sarasota. We will have to allow an additional fifteen minutes, but we get to drive down Casey Key and enjoy all the views.
Over the years since I first bought on Casey Key in 1987 the “Bridge” has been closed for periods of time. In the early 1990’s the “Bridge” under went substantial repairs. At that time, a majority of Casey Key residents, as well as Sarasota County officials, the Florida D.O.T. and the Historical Society, favored rehabilitation of the existing one-lane Swing Bridge, rather than replacement with a new larger, higher two-lane draw bridge.
However, the Coast Guard denied the permit because the horizontal and vertical clearances did not meet Coast Guard navigational standards. As a result, interim (five to ten year) repairs were made, and the “Bridge” won a reprieve.
The Blackburn Point Swing Bridge is a daily reminder of Florida’s past. The “Bridge” has been a fixture of Casey Key since the mid-1920s when it was one of several bridges installed locally as a result of a 1924 bond issue. This is the only swing bridge in Sarasota County and only a few left in all of Florida.
Another little inconvenience is that Jimmy is going to close the Casey Key Fish House for summer vacation while the “Bridge” is being repaired. Now that is a "bummer" for Casey Key residents here for the summer.
But don’t worry the Herron Group, Nick Herron and Kathleen Herron with RE/MAX Alliance Group will be here to show you the reason we all love Paradise “Casey Key” even with a little inconvenience.
We still want to keep our “Bridge”.
Beach, Bay or Back Nine…Live the Dream
Over the years since I first bought on Casey Key in 1987 the “Bridge” has been closed for periods of time. In the early 1990’s the “Bridge” under went substantial repairs. At that time, a majority of Casey Key residents, as well as Sarasota County officials, the Florida D.O.T. and the Historical Society, favored rehabilitation of the existing one-lane Swing Bridge, rather than replacement with a new larger, higher two-lane draw bridge.
However, the Coast Guard denied the permit because the horizontal and vertical clearances did not meet Coast Guard navigational standards. As a result, interim (five to ten year) repairs were made, and the “Bridge” won a reprieve.
The Blackburn Point Swing Bridge is a daily reminder of Florida’s past. The “Bridge” has been a fixture of Casey Key since the mid-1920s when it was one of several bridges installed locally as a result of a 1924 bond issue. This is the only swing bridge in Sarasota County and only a few left in all of Florida.
Another little inconvenience is that Jimmy is going to close the Casey Key Fish House for summer vacation while the “Bridge” is being repaired. Now that is a "bummer" for Casey Key residents here for the summer.
But don’t worry the Herron Group, Nick Herron and Kathleen Herron with RE/MAX Alliance Group will be here to show you the reason we all love Paradise “Casey Key” even with a little inconvenience.
We still want to keep our “Bridge”.
Beach, Bay or Back Nine…Live the Dream
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