MATLACHA, Fla. — Although it may look like the island is busy, one business owner says the construction on the Little Pine Island Bridge is driving business away.
"The bridge closure was about a month and a half after we we opened, and revenues dropped off 60, 70%,” said Tommy Kolar, the owner of the Yucatan Waterfront Bar and Grill.
Kolar says the drop in business has stayed that way since.
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"You have people that live in the Cape that want to come out here and won't do it because they've got a factor in sitting in the traffic. It hits all avenues of life on this island, and we just can't stand for it anymore,” said Kolar.
The construction goes right up to the restaurant's driveway. Kolar says he's all for the the bridge reconstruction, but he just wants it to be quicker.
"Two lanes of traffic is what's really needed for multiple reasons, but that was supposed to be done by the end of the year,” said Kolar.
Kolar and some other business owners on the island say they are frustrated with timeline changes of the project.
According to FDOT's project website, the first phase of the project should be completed by Feb. 1, which will reopen the second lane. The website also says, "Since the bridge reconstruction began in June of 2024, significant progress has been made.”
However, Kolar and some other business owners on the island disagree.
"They have not prioritized this project and it is astonishing to me, because, given the fact that there's only one way on and off this island, it should be at the it should be at their very top priority to get it finished and expedited,” said Kolar.
Jay Sanderson owns a business and lives on Pine Island.
He tells Fox 4 safety is also a concern. He says some days it can take hours to get off the island.
"If you have to get off the island, it almost makes more sense to have you Medevac at this point. I mean, that's crazy to me,” said Sanderson.
Kolar and Sanderson told Fox 4’s Bella Line they are working with county leaders to see how they can get the project sped up.
"We, as a county, as an island community, should be treated way better than this and I'm not going to stop until we are treated better,” said Kolar.
