By Emily Roden
Port St. Lucie Crosstown Bridge, which features Guy Harvey tile murals, just won “Highway / Bridge Project of the Year” from Engineering News-Record
Port St. Lucie, a charming coastal town located on the southeastern coast of Florida, debuted their Crosstown Bridge in August 2019. This bridge is like nothing you have ever seen before, both on behalf of its architectural excellence, grandeur and its inclusion of Dr. Guy Harvey’s artwork. This project was spearheaded by administrator George Denti and, while construction only started in 2017, has been more than 40 years in the making. The bridge extends for 2 miles and includes six lanes divided to include accommodations for automobile, bicycle, pedestrian and public transit traffic. This was the largest Local Agency Funded (LAP) project ever completed in Florida, with a budget of $91.5 million. In August 2020, the bridge received the Florida Transportation Builders Association Award for “Best in Construction for a LAP Project” and the Engineering News-Record Southeast’s “Best Highway Bridge Project.” Located on the two towers at each end of the bridge are mosaics created by Guy Harvey. These tiles were created in partnership with Porcelains Unlimited and feature Dr. Harvey’s iconic depictions of marine life. On the top of these towers are sculptures of seagrass and fish made of metal.
Guy Harvey is honored to be a part of this historic project for the city of Port St. Lucie, not only for its importance in the daily lives of Floridians but also because of the work that the city of Port St. Lucie has done to offset environmental damage caused by the building of the bridge. For many years, the city and local environmental groups worked to build this fantastic architectural structure while protecting the fragile ecosystem of their town. To offset the damage, the city of Port St. Lucie donated 110 acres of land to the state to expand the Savannas Preserve State Park, helped St. Lucie County complete a Platt’s Creek restoration project, built a multi-use trail at the Savannas Recreation Area off East Midway Road, improved the Evans Creek canoe launch so that it now supports use by the disabled, and paid to expand the popular and frequently used education center at the Savannas Preserve State Park.
