Wilson Pigott Bridge closure begins Monday for 10-day repairs

ALVA, Fla. —

The Wilson Pigott Bridge in Babcock Ranch will close to all traffic starting at 4 a.m. Monday as crews begin installing new steel grid panels to ensure safe travel.

Janice Eormel, who has lived in Babcock Ranch for about a year, said she and her husband are preparing for the closure.

"So we're relatively new here, so we don't know what to expect. We actually were just talking about, 'Do we have any need to go into Fort Myers?' Should we go before you know?' Hurry,'" Eormel said.

She added, "Is it really going to be as backed up as they say? We don't know."

The Florida Department of Transportation said the repairs are expected to take about 10 days if the weather cooperates.

Russ McClelland, another Babcock Ranch resident, expressed concerns about the timeline for the repairs.

"I can't believe that, because before I moved here up north, we had an identical bridge in my neighborhood and they were repairing it. It's like eight months to fix it. So hopefully they don't get into this bridge and say, 'uh-oh, it's total loss,'" McClelland said.

The bridge will be closed to all traffic during the repairs, but local businesses south of the bridge will remain open during business hours and can be accessed from State Road 31 traveling northbound from State Road 80.

Commuters can use Interstate 75 to cross the Caloosahatchee River as an alternate route to Babcock Ranch Road and State Road 31.

Visitor Christina Amari shared her thoughts on the potential traffic impact.

"It's a lot of traffic, but hopefully it's not going to be, you know, too bad," Amari said.

The new steel grid deck is expected to last over 25 years. A full bridge replacement is scheduled for July 2028, which will include six travel lanes to accommodate more vehicles.

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