The LaBelle Draw Bridge (also locally known as the State Road 29 Bridge) is a 28 feet tall, two-lane drawbridge located in the historical district of the town of LaBelle.

The project entails repairing and rehabilitating the drawbridge. Currently, overweight vehicles are not permitted to use the bridge; these scheduled improvements will allow trucks to use the bridge, shorten their travel distances, and improve travel times.

• The structural components were carefully stripped off the existing lead-based paint and recoated to meet new specifications.
• All substructure components received a new Class V finish.
• The existing traffic signal arms were also removed and upgraded.
• The project also consisted of a new linear park with sidewalks and hand railing.

Client: Florida Department of Transportation

Location: LaBelle, Florida

Area: 28 feet tall, 500 feet and the draw bridge opening is 100 feet.

Finished: 2010

Cost: $8 Million

Remarks : As the Senior Project Engineer Scott Case managed the rehabilitation of a 28 feet tall, two-lane drawbridge located in the historical district of the town of LaBelle.

The retrofit consisted of replacement of all mechanical, hydraulic and electrical components, as well as replacing the stringers, cover plates, live load shoes, span locks, counterweights, bearing pads and adding stiffener plates to the main leaves for beam strengthening.

The existing connections to all structural members consisted of over 2000 rivets that had to be replaced with high strength bolts and torqued to specifications. The bridge decking was also replaced with new metal gauge cribbing and light-weight concrete. The fender system was also upgraded and brought up to code with new fenders and connections.

After completion, the structural components were carefully stripped of the existing lead-based paint and re-coated to meet new specifications. All substructure components received a new Class V finish. The existing traffic signal arms where also removed and upgraded. The project also consisted of a new linear park with sidewalks and hand railing.

As the project owner the FDOT order the structural improvements to the State Road 29 LaBelle Drawbridge over the Caloosahatchee River in Hendry County, Florida. The bridge had weight restrictions and commercial vehicles over the weight limit that did not permitted the use the bridge and forced the traffic to go to the Mamie Langdale Memorial Bridge in Moore Haven as an alternate crossing.

The goal of this project was to strengthen the steel and concrete beams of the bridge on SR 29/Bridge Street over the Caloosahatchee River in LaBelle, Florida.