National Bridge Preservation Expert Weighs In on Rehabilitation of the Blackburn Point Swing Bridge
The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation (SAHP), which is advocating for the preservation and rehabilitation of the historic Blackburn Point Swing Bridge in Osprey, FL, has released a technical review examining rehabilitation as an alternative to Sarasota County’s proposed replacement of the nearly century-old bridge. The review, conducted by a national historic bridge restoration firm, concludes that the bridge can instead be rehabilitated—and at substantially less cost to taxpayers.
Sarasota County transportation staff and consultants cite the bridge’s condition, the difficulty of repairing the aging structure and public safety concerns, including the need for more space for pedestrians and cyclists, as reasons for recommending replacement. SAHP contends that rehabilitation of the existing bridge has not been adequately considered.
“We believe the county has focused on replacing the Blackburn Point Swing Bridge without giving rehabilitation the serious consideration it deserves,” said Jan Vertefeuille, co-president of SAHP. “Before a decision is made about the future of this historic bridge, we want commissioners and the public to have a clear understanding of whether it can be preserved safely and cost effectively.”
SAHP, working with local residents, asked Michigan-based Bach Ornamental & Structural Steel, which specializes in historic bridge restoration, to review Sarasota County’s project documents, inspection materials, photographs, videos and cost estimates and assess whether rehabilitation is a viable alternative to replacement.
“The financial case is not close,” Nels Raynor, president of Bach Ornamental & Structural Steel, said in the analysis. “The county’s own engineers acknowledge the bridge can be restored and rate it in fair condition. Rehabilitation is the fiscally conservative option, by a wide margin.”
The Sarasota County Board of Commissioners is expected to vote on the bridge’s future later this year, although no date for a vote has been set.
Evidence of corrosion, which has been used by Sarasota County-hired engineering consultants to justify replacing the bridge, is in fact “the normal, expected, repairable condition of an aging truss,” Raynor noted.
Bach Steel has not yet conducted an on-site evaluation of the bridge; one is scheduled for a later date. Its initial assessment is based on its review of Sarasota County project materials. The firm is nationally recognized for its work restoring historic truss bridges.
Built in 1926, the Blackburn Point Swing Bridge is a historic, single-lane swing bridge crossing the Intracoastal Waterway in Osprey. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated on the Sarasota County Register of Historic Places, it is one of the few remaining historic swing bridges in Florida. SAHP named the bridge to its Six to Save list in 2025 as one of Sarasota County’s most at-risk historic resources. To date, nearly 2,000 residents have written to the County Commission and signed petitions asking that the bridge be preserved.
“For many, the bridge is a source of community pride,” Vertefeuille said. “And it appears that thoughtful restoration will require much less compared to the replacement expense.”
