Venetian Causeway utility dig starts Sept. 21 for bridge project

Crews will start digging along the Venetian Causeway the week of Monday to relocate underground utilities ahead of Miami-Dade County's planned bridge replacement project.

The construction is expected to last about six months, the City of Miami Beach announced Wednesday. ITG Communications will install roughly 1 mile of underground casing, including a stretch beneath Biscayne Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway.

City Cites Environmental and Service Goals

The city said the work is meant to protect the surrounding environment while keeping communication services reliable.

County Awarded $3.1 Million Contract

The Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners awarded the contract to ITG Communications on July 21 for $3,096,425.02. The deal gives the contractor 231 calendar days to finish. The contract covers water main and sewer force main relocation along the causeway.

Earlier Phase of Utility Work Wrapped Up

Utility work in the corridor is not new. Crews working on Phase 2 of the Venetian Causeway Water and Sewer Main Upgrades were nearing completion as of late August, according to the Miami Beach Journal. That project required a water service shutdown for parts of Rivo Alto Island overnight Aug. 25-26 for final pipe connections.

Bridge Project Secures $100 Million Federal Grant

The new utility relocation is the first visible step in a much larger effort. Miami-Dade County plans to replace the Venetian Causeway's aging bridges in a project that has secured a $100,547,040 federal grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bridge Investment Program. The county commission ratified that grant application at the same July 21 meeting.

March Meeting Outlined Planned Bridge Improvements

At a March 18 public meeting at 1000 Venetian Way, Miami-Dade's Department of Transportation and Public Works outlined proposed improvements for the bridge replacement. Plans call for raising the bridges to help mitigate sea-level rise, adding wider sidewalks and new bicycle lanes, expanding spoil islands to their original footprint and creating additional green space along the corridor.

No start date for the full bridge replacement has been set.