One of Martin County's older bridges is getting retired. The county is replacing the South County Line Road bridge, originally built back in 1974, with a modern structure built for today's traffic and safety standards.
The new bridge sits on a 200-foot section between SE Girl Scout Camp Road and SE Island Drive, in the southern end of the county near Hobe Sound. The design unifies the roadway and pedestrian elements into one structure with 12-foot travel lanes, 6-foot shoulders and a 6-foot sidewalk.
The total cost is $7.1 million, helped along by a $3 million state grant received in April 2024 through the General Appropriation Act. The rest comes from the county.
On the schedule: construction was set to begin in fall 2025, with completion targeted for fall 2026 — roughly a 12-month build. The county describes it as a project to improve access, safety and stormwater management for the surrounding community.
If you've driven a half-century-old bridge with no real shoulder and no sidewalk, you understand the upgrade. The new shoulders and dedicated walkway are the kind of quiet improvements that make a road safer for everyone, including people on foot and bikes.
Drivers in the area should expect closures and detours during the build — the contractor and full bridge-closure dates were still being finalized as the project geared up.
It's not flashy, but for the 772 this is exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes infrastructure work that keeps the county moving. We'll flag any major closures as they're announced.