The Winter Park City Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved a $1.6 million project to replace the aging Stirling Avenue bridge over Howell Creek, a roughly 70-year-old timber structure that city officials say has reached the end of its useful life.
The 5-0 vote clears the way for the city to move forward with a $500,000 state grant from the Florida Department of Transportation. The project will tear out the existing wood box culverts and replace them with a modern concrete flat slab bridge featuring two travel lanes and two sidewalks. Construction could begin as early as this spring and last roughly seven and a half months.
The bridge sits on Stirling Avenue approximately 200 feet east of Lakeview Drive, in a residential area west of downtown Winter Park. It carries both vehicle and pedestrian traffic over Howell Creek, a waterway that flows through several Winter Park neighborhoods.
Don Marcotte, the city engineer who presented the item, described the existing structure as “an old wood box culvert bridge” that is due for replacement after years of testing and inspections. He said the most frequent complaints from residents have been about the railing — an aesthetic issue — but that the underlying structure is the real concern. Commissioner Warren Lindsey thanked staff for securing the grant, and Marcotte credited Charles Ramdatt, the city’s public works director, and the procurement team with navigating what he called an extensive process with the state.
According to a state funding request filed with the Florida Senate for the 2025-26 fiscal year, the existing bridge consists of two wood box culverts used for conveyance of Howell Creek’s surface water. The document describes the structure as “approximately 70 years old” and notes that the project’s purpose is “to replace an existing very old wood box culvert bridge that is reaching its final years of useful life.”
The total project cost is $1,607,731. The city will pay $1,107,731 — about 69 percent of the cost — with the remaining $500,000 covered by FDOT through a state-funded grant agreement. Under the terms of the grant, the city pays upfront and seeks reimbursement from FDOT.
The FDOT grant agreement includes detailed compliance, audit and reporting requirements. If the project is not completed on schedule, FDOT may terminate the agreement and require the city to return the funds.
The city has already secured permits from the St. Johns River Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The timeline calls for a construction bid opening by April 15, with a 227-day construction window and a target completion date of Jan. 21, 2027.
Residents who use Stirling Avenue to cross Howell Creek will likely need to use alternate routes during the construction period. The city has not yet announced a detour plan.
The bridge replacement comes as Winter Park manages other major infrastructure work, including the Park Avenue Refresh project, a multimillion-dollar overhaul of downtown’s most iconic commercial corridor. Phase 1 of that project is expected to wrap up by fall 2026, and the commission approved a $240,250 contract for Phase 2 design at the same meeting.
No members of the public spoke on the bridge item, which was listed as Resolution 2311-26. The commission approved it without debate beyond Lindsey’s brief exchange with staff.
The Feb. 25 meeting, which lasted just over an hour, was the shortest in Mayor Sheila DeCiccio’s nearly six years on the commission.