The Cortez Bridge opened to residents and property or business owners on Monday morning – but to foot traffic only.
Across that bridge, roads in the city of Bradenton Beach on the southern end of Anna Maria Island remain closed to traffic. Some roads remain covered in sand. Others washed away or buckled in Hurricane Helene’s storm surge.
WFTS Matt Suddock and his family live in Tampa but have a second home in Bradenton Beach. H was among those who made the long walk across the bridge.
“We’ll rebuild. I just feel bad for everybody else who actually lives here,” Suddock said. “It’s our second house that’s different.”
His neighbor Jim LaPoint does live fulltime in Bradenton Beach but evacuated.
WFTS “It’s our home. We’ve had five great years here. Maybe get through this and we’ll have another five. I don’t know,” LaPoint said.
LaPoint first made the trip back home to see what remained of his home over the weekend thanks to a boat ride across from a local. Over the weekend, many locals including charter fishermen were shuttling people back and forth to the island.