View of the river from the bridge

The bridge over the Braden River took 3 years to build, from 2020 to 2023. It's just 3 blocks from our home. We watched it being built, usually via our boat! It has added an extra main road to accommodate for traffic in the area. It is an alternate route for us to travel on which is a nicer drive and quicker to my mom's. Tonight Steve & I took a walk from our house to the bridge and enjoyed this view of the river looking towards our home on one of the canals.

A few facts:
Construction Cost: $67.8 Million.
This project continues the extension of 44th Avenue East from 45th Street East to west of I-75. Project #5 includes approximately 3.27 miles of roadway improvements and has been divided into two adjacent sections. The first section begins at 45th Street East, continues east across the Braden River and ends at 44th Avenue Plaza East. The second section (referred to as Phase 1) will begin at 44th Avenue Plaza East and end approximately a quarter mile west of the I-75 right-of-way.

Part of the 1968 Concept Development Plan and then later incorporated into the Manatee County 1989 Comprehensive Plan and adopted Capital Improvements Plan.
Provides additional roadway capacity to meet anticipated County growth. Reduces traffic demand on parallel thoroughfares (SR 64 and SR 70) by a combined 21,000 vehicles per day. 

Wow.