Among the most critical components of Everglades restoration is increasing water flow into Everglades National Park. A major step toward accomplishing that need was taken today with the announcement by Gov. Rick Scott of a $90 million state commitment for the bridging of a 2.6 mile segment of Tamiami Trail. These funds, to be matched by federal dollars, will replace the road’s current berm with a bridge so that water north of Tamiami Trail can flow into the Everglades rather than run off into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries.
“Every drop of water that we can send South and keep out of the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Estuaries is a win for Florida families,” Scott said. “My message to families being impacted is that we will not give up on you. We are putting forward strategies each and every day to address the water quality issues that are impacting families in our state.”
The completion of this project will mean benefits beyond those significant to Everglades restoration. This bridge will aid in the reestablishment of historical seasonal water depths and flooding durations that aid the survival of fish and wildlife, and will give water managers greater flexibility in dealing with Lake Okeechobee water levels and system wide flood protection.
“I want to applaud Governor Scott for focusing on the things that are important to Southwest Floridians,” said Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto. “This commitment is a great step towards improving the water issues that face the Caloosahatchee River and the State as a whole. By raising Tamiami Trail we will be able to remove the constraints on water that is moving south.”
Benacquisto was joined by Senators Joe Negron and Garrett Richter, and Representatives Matt Caldwell, Dane Eagle, Heather Fitzenhagen, Matt Hudson, Kathleen Passidomo, and Ray Rodrigues, in commending Gov. Scott and his water team for this project decision.
This long-term collaborative effort is also embraced by agency secretaries Herschel Vinyard of DEP, and Ananth Prasad of FDOT.
“This is a critical project for Everglades restoration and is long overdue. I am grateful for Governor Scott’s leadership for bringing FDOT to the table,” said Prasad.
