The 2.5 miles long Venetian Causeway crosses the pristine waters of Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, and connects the City of Miami with the City of Miami Beach. The causeway includes 12 bridges (two bridges with bascule spans) that connect six residential islands and five spoil islands. The low-lying causeway was built in 1926, is vulnerable to coastal storms, is below the 100-year storm elevation, and has experienced extensive deterioration over the years. As part of a Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study and the final design, EAC evaluated and developed a recommended alternative for the improvement that also ensured resiliency. The Recommended Alternative incorporated raised bridges that accommodated the effects of Sea Level Rise yet maintained the character of the causeway. These alternatives were incorporated on the final design of the project. The substructure and superstructure design of the bridges was developed to resist the 100-year storm surge event and provisions were incorporated to restore and protect the spoil islands from future erosion and deterioration while protecting the pristine marine environment.
