FDOT presented a feasibility study for the County Road 708 (Hobe Sound) bridge at the Sept. 15 Martin County MPO meeting. Consultant Ron Sanchez summarized existing bridge characteristics, alternatives and a cost and lifecycle analysis and recommended the no‑build option based on current structural condition and recent rehabilitation work.

Sanchez said the existing 1985 bascule bridge has two 12‑foot lanes, an 8‑foot sidewalk on the westbound side and a 21‑foot vertical clearance in the closed position; the bridge is listed as scour‑critical but inspection reports rated structural components as satisfactory to good. The bridge electrical systems were replaced in 2023 and mechanical repairs performed in 2024, Sanchez said.

The study compared (1) a rehabilitation and widening of the existing movable span, (2) a high‑level fixed bridge with approximately 65 feet vertical clearance and a 125‑foot navigation channel, and (3) a replacement movable bascule bridge with wider navigation. The consultant’s life‑cycle cost estimate and comparison matrix weighed capital and long‑term maintenance costs, environmental and aesthetic impacts (including impacts to a “tunnel of trees” west of the alignment), and navigation and community effects.

Sanchez said the fixed, high‑level option would be the most intrusive and would affect natural and cultural resources; the movable replacement would be expensive and maintain movable operations, while rehabilitation would not increase navigational clearance and would come after recent mechanical work. Given the bridge’s generally satisfactory condition and the county’s recent stewardship, the consultant recommended no‑build at this time but noted that scour countermeasures or rehabilitation could be reconsidered later if conditions change.

Board members asked FDOT and the consultant about structural condition and next steps. Commissioners and staff asked that FDOT and the consultant brief Jupiter Island officials—whose views may be affected by changes to the bridge’s vertical profile or visual corridor—before any next steps. The MPO voted unanimously to request that FDOT present the feasibility findings to the Jupiter Island Commission.