Editor's note: The following is an unedited release from the National Park Service.

The National Park Service and the Florida Department of Transportation have announced the next significant milestone in the Everglades National Park restoration. On May 23, FDOT awarded a contract to joint venture team of Condotte America Inc. and Stantec for the construction of the 2.6-mile bridge and roadway project on State Road (SR) 90/SW 8 Street/Tamiami Trail. F&J Engineering Group Inc. has been selected as the Construction, Engineering and Inspection team.

The next phase of bridging will advance restoration objectives by allowing additional freshwater flow in the park, improving ecological conditions both in the park and in the central Everglades north of Tamiami Trail.

The estimated cost of the project is $69.5 million. Construction is expected to begin this summer and has an anticipated completion date of early 2020. Please note these dates may change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.

“The partnership between the NPS and FDOT has helped advance the Everglades restoration effort,” said Pedro Ramos, superintendent of Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks. “The completion of the 2.6-mile bridging project is essential in establishing the natural flow of water to Everglades National Park and Florida Bay.”

Public Law 112-74 authorized construction of the preferred alternative “6e” outlined in the project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which includes 5.5 miles of proposed bridging on Tamiami Trail. In an October 2012 meeting, the NPS director directed the park to move forward with this design.

The Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) indicates that sections of the Tamiami Trail roadway must be removed in order to improve flood conditions in the Water Conservations Areas north of the trail and to increase water flow into the park. The Tamiami Trail Modifications project is being developed concurrently with CEPP so that anticipated hydrological influences are factored into the design.

The Tamiami Trail Modifications Next Steps Project Phase 1 includes the construction of a western 1.43 mile bridge, construction of an eastern 0.88 mile bridge, raising 0.84 mile of roadway by two feet near Everglades Safari Park to provide and maintain access to this business, and removing the existing Tamiami Trail roadway section north of the new bridge openings.

The project is funded through a partnership between NPS, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and FDOT. Florida Governor Rick Scott pledged funds in 2013 for the advancement of the project. The NPS has committed to fund 50 percent of the project and in 2015, the FHWA awarded a $20 million TIGER Grant to aid in funding the project.