EAC Consulting, Inc. was responsible for the Bridge Study for the Boca Club/Camino Real Bascule Bridge. The existing bridge is a circa 1939 rolling lift bascule bridge that carries Camino Real across the Intracoastal Waterway. The bridge’s age and character make it potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The general objective of this Bridge Study was to provide and document information necessary for Palm Beach County to reach a decision on the type, designs, and location of proposed improvements related to the Boca Club/Camino Real Bridge. In addition to documentation of existing conditions and identification of potential physical, social and natural environmental impacts, alternatives analysis was completed as part of this project. Alternatives, including several bridge replacement concepts and bridge rehabilitation, were developed and analyzed based on a consideration of feasibility, cost, ability to meet project needs, and degree of environmental impacts. Because of the historic character of the bridge and the surrounding district, a Section 106 Evaluation and Determination of Effects Case Study Report was prepared as part of this project.

Results of analysis and coordination with local stakeholders, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) resulted in a recommendation of “bridge rehabilitation” as the most appropriate strategy for addressing the deficiencies of the existing bridge while avoiding adverse impacts to the bridge as a historic resource.