This summer the Venetian Causeway replacement moved from studies into budgets. On July 21, 2026, the Miami-Dade County Commission adopted Resolution R-692-26. It ratifies the county's application to the federal Bridge Investment Program for up to $100,547,040 and authorizes the mayor to sign the grant agreement. The resolution puts the estimated construction cost at $201,094,080, so the federal share covers about half the job. A week earlier, Miami Today reported that the county was adding $3 million to move water and sewer mains along the bridge between Biscayne and San Marco islands, and that completion was scheduled for some point beyond 2032.
Nobody has broken ground yet, and no start date has been set. For the people living on Biscayne, San Marco, San Marino, Di Lido, Rivo Alto and Belle Isle, the more useful story is in the engineering. Almost every major design choice was made to keep the islands' own streets as they are while 11 of the 12 bridges connecting them are replaced.
What Holds the Calendar Now Is Paperwork
Miami-Dade's project page said final design would be done by Summer 2026, and that the construction contract would be advertised after that, once permit coordination was complete. Summer is over, and the page has posted no newer date. The federal Permitting Dashboard still shows environmental review and permitting as in progress, with an estimated finish of October 30, 2026.
| Milestone | What the record shows |
|---|---|
| First design public meeting | April 2023 |
| Second design public meeting | March 18, 2026, at the 1000 Venetian Way clubhouse |
| Inspection consultant solicitation | Proposals due May 5, 2026 |
| Final design target | Summer 2026 |
| Federal grant resolution adopted | July 21, 2026 |
| Environmental review and permitting | In progress, estimated finish October 30, 2026 |
| Construction contract advertised | Not yet; follows permit coordination |
| Completion target | Beyond 2032, per Miami Today |
The one construction-related solicitation the county has published so far went out in April 2026. It seeks a consultant for construction engineering and inspection, the firm that oversees the builder. Proposals were due May 5. The contract to actually build the bridges has not been advertised yet.
The schedule has already moved once. A Miami Beach committee memo dated April 17, 2024, expected the construction contract to be awarded in January 2026. That month has passed with design still being finished. Anyone planning a renovation, a dock project or a long stretch of hosting around a start date should keep in mind that the date has slipped before.
Why the New Bridges Rise Only About a Foot
The county says the replacement bridges will be built higher to help protect against sea-level rise, will pay homage to the causeway's original 1927 look, and are expected to last about 75 years. Under the design WLRN described in March 2023, the fixed spans would sit only about a foot higher than today's.
WLRN explained why the increase was kept small. A taller bridge would have meant raising Venetian Way where it lands on each residential island so the ramps would have a workable grade. The outlet reported that planners specifically wanted to avoid that effect on homeowners. So the modest rise is a deliberate trade-off. The bridges get some protection against higher water, and the streets in front of island homes stay at their current level.
The same report raised one cost of the plan. Taller bridge landings, especially at the new drawbridge, could cut off the easy ground-level public access people now have to the small, low spoil islands along the route. Engineers said they would look for places to build walkways from the higher ramps down to those islands. That reporting came before the county said design was nearly done, so the walkway question may have been settled in drawings the public hasn't seen. Documents shown at the March 18 meeting are available only through a public records request.
Half a Bridge at a Time, Starting From the Belle Isle End
The 16 extra feet of width on each bridge goes to people walking and biking. In the 2023 version, raised sidewalks doubled to eight feet, and road-level bike lanes grew to seven feet, three feet wider than the narrow, crowded lanes in use now. Those numbers come from early design and may change. The direction is clear, though. The current crossing is busy for a two-lane historic route. Local 10 reported in November 2024 that about 25,000 cars a day use the 2.5-mile causeway, alongside people walking, jogging and biking. In January 2022, the Miami Herald counted roughly 2,000 bicycle users a day.
The construction approach was planned around keeping that traffic moving. The county says temporary bridge structures and open lanes will keep traffic from ever being completely blocked. WLRN reported the method behind that promise. Each fixed bridge would be rebuilt one half at a time, with one car lane kept open in each direction and a narrow four-foot shared sidewalk for pedestrians and cyclists. Engineers expected the work to move east to west, one or two bridges at a time. If that order holds, the bridges closest to Belle Isle and the Purdy Avenue end would be rebuilt first, and households near the Miami end would feel it later.
County engineer Gabriel Delgado told WLRN what drove the design:
"Sea-level rise considerations and greater resiliency were a primary item. We also know we are facing a heavier use, heavier vehicles and heavier pedestrian uses. It's heavily used by pedestrians and bicyclists, and it's used for commerce, by emergency services."
WLRN also pointed to who would be affected beyond drivers. That includes the Metrobus route between the Omni station downtown and Lincoln Road, and the annual Miami Marathon, which uses the Venetian as a key link on its course.
The Drawbridge Can't Be Rebuilt in Halves
The eastern bascule bridge is the one exception to the half-at-a-time method, and it is the bridge the county is replacing. WLRN reported that engineers would put a temporary floating bridge next to it before demolishing the old span. While that floating bridge is in place, boats can't pass at that point and would have to go around to the westernmost drawbridge at the Miami end to travel north or south through the bay. For anyone who keeps a boat on the islands, that detour will likely matter more than any traffic lane closure.
After construction, things get easier for boaters. The new drawbridge was designed almost three feet higher than the current span, which gives more clearance for storm surge and for boats and should mean fewer openings. The federal rules for this drawbridge were amended in February and again in September 2026. Anyone timing a trip around an opening should check the current Code of Federal Regulations text rather than an older schedule.
Long-time residents have lived through this kind of disruption before. WLRN noted that the earlier drawbridge replacement cut off direct access between Miami, the islands and Miami Beach for nine months. That followed two years of partial closures while the island sections of Venetian Way were resurfaced. The temporary floating bridge in the current plan is designed to avoid repeating that nine-month cutoff.
The Toll Rules Already in Place
Toll policy during construction is still undecided. In 2024, a Miami Beach committee memo discussed possible toll increases, resident-only access and more frequent transit while work is underway. Those were proposals for discussion, not adopted policy. These are the rules in effect now, according to the county's toll information, with rates effective October 1, 2025:
- A two-axle vehicle pays $3.25 with SunPass and $6.50 through Toll-by-Plate.
- Venetian Causeway property owners can get unlimited passage at no cost for eligible two-axle noncommercial vehicles.
- A $120 annual commuter plan covers eligible residents or employees of the Venetian Islands and Sunset Harbour.
Toll-by-Plate costs twice the SunPass rate, so for anyone not on one of the resident plans, how the toll gets paid is where the money goes.
At the End of the Line, Purdy Avenue Keeps Changing
If the work does start at the eastern end, it will begin next to a part of Sunset Harbour that is already changing. BeyBey, at 1330 18th Street, reopened in December 2025 after rebuilding its kitchen. Its menu centers on charcoal cooking with Yucatán and Lebanese influences, it has recently added lunch, and it has a permit for a 24-seat cocktail bar in the back. According to Miami New Times, Genghis Cohen was projected to open in late 2026 at 1801 Purdy Avenue, the former Sardinia space. Both are a short walk from the Belle Isle side of the causeway.
The next concrete date is October 30, 2026, when the federal dashboard estimates environmental review and permitting will be complete.
Elmes Group follows the infrastructure decisions that shape life on Miami Beach's islands. That includes bridge clearances, drawbridge openings and how dock owners get out to open water. If you'd like to talk through what the causeway timeline could mean for your property or your boat, Contact Us.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
