The Army Corps of Engineers announced yesterday the award of an $81 million contract to build a one-mile bridge across a portion of Tamiami Trail, which has long acted as a dam by restricting sheetflow through the heart of the Everglades and south to Florida Bay.  The contract also includes reinforcing almost ten miles of roadway, which will allow adjacent canal levels to be held higher, thus pushing more flow towards water-starved Everglades National Park.

Audubon applauds this progress towards Everglades restoration, which will also generate much-needed jobs in the local area, and we will continue to work with our partners as the operational plan for the project is developed and future bridging efforts to achieve more flow are planned.

To read more about this important milestone, see the Miami Herald or Palm Beach Post. To learn more about the significance of this Tamiami Trail bridge, please see our fact sheet.