This whole Sanibel bridge debacle is a political football. I suspect the CG
just wants to get in the news story about it. There is a lot more going on here
than simply an old bridge.
For one thing, this is the place where manatee suddenly decide to move to the
other side exactly at midnight on Nov 15 every year.
The slow speed zone flips sides of the bridge then. 25 on one side, slow on the
other. It flips back in April. There is also an ongoing war about what kind of
bridge they are going to build. That is the biggest part of the reason why it
has taken so long to get rid of this one. They don't want to spend a lot of
money to fix the bridge since it is scheduled to be torn down and replaced. The
problem is the USCG wants a high bridge, Sanibel wants another low draw bridge.
I suppose the USCG is pressing their case to boaters to VOTE. A high bridge
will be "safe normal speed", a draw bridge will be "no wake" up to $27,000
fine.