Beginning October 15 at 9:30 p.m., inbound and outbound travel lanes of SR A1A/South Roosevelt Boulevard, and the pedestrian pathway, will be closed nightly Sunday through Thursday from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Atlantic Boulevard to the east end of Smathers Beach. This closure allows workers to install stormwater drainage pipes across the roadway. The work is expected to be completed by November 10, 2023. Motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians should plan an alternate route during these nightly closures. During the road closure, access to the Key West International Airport, and businesses and residences east of the airport, will be from the east side of SR A1A/South Roosevelt Boulevard, via Flagler Avenue or SR US1/ North Roosevelt Boulevard. Access to La Brisa Condominiums, Margaritaville Beach House, and Key West by the Sea will be maintained throughout the closure. This work is part of the ongoing roadway project along SR A1A/South Roosevelt Boulevard from Bertha Street to the end of Smathers Beach. The construction schedule may change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. The Key West City Commission and Mayor Teri Johnston unanimously passed a resolution asking the Florida Department of Transportation to rename the bridge at the entrance to the island in honor of the late Cheryl H. Cates. If approved by FDOT, the Cow Key Channel Bridge would become the Cheryl H. Cates Memorial Bridge. Cates was the long-time wife of Key West Mayor Emeritus and current County Commissioner Craig Cates. Local businessmen Jim Gilleran and Peter Batty formed a committee to petition for the change. “Among numerous philanthropic activities Cheryl served on the board for Wesley House, Samuels House and Kids Come First,” they wrote in a letter requesting the change. “On September 11, 1971 she married the love of her life Craig Cates. An inseparable team, the Cates have made countless positive impacts upon their community.” Cheryl Cates died on December 2nd, 2020. “It’s a great honor for Cheryl and the family,” Craig Cates said at the City Commission meeting. “She always used to say that she’d connect the dots between people who needed help and those who could help.” “The City Commission finds it would be fitting to name the Cow Key Bridge in honor of Cheryl H. Cates,” reads the resolution, “to recognize the many contributions that she, and the Cates family, have made toward improving Key West and Monroe County.” “This particular bridge and its geographical location that spans both Key West and Monroe County is a fitting tribute,” Batty and Gilleran wrote in the petition, “to not only Cheryl's abundant love and contributions to our community but also in a small way recognizes the entire Cates family and their selfless dedication to improving our diverse community.” The Monroe County Commission also unanimously approved a similar resolution, which will now be passed on to FDOT. In the photo: Members of the Cates family and friends joined the City Commission at the podium during the recent City Commission meeting. |
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