Ideas for a new crossing to upgrade or replace the Causeway, possibly with a new bridge either in the same place or slightly further north or a combination or bridges linking Coney Island and Ferry Reach Park or Kindley Field Road, have been made public.

Government is considering what should be done with the 135-year-old Causeway and is seeking views from the public before picking the best route for a crossing and the type of bridge or causeway to be constructed.

To be decided is whether the new crossing should be a bridge high enough out of the water to allow boats to pass underneath unobstructed, or to settle for a low level bridge with a swing or lifting section to allow boats to pass through.

A further consideration is how wide the new crossing should be. The Causeway currently has a road carriageway of 21 feet.

Options drawn up by a list of consultants include a 48ft wide carriageway to allow two-way traffic, two cycle lanes and a pedestrian walkway or to go with smaller road widths of 44 feet or 36 feet.

By the end of this year it is anticipated a favoured scheme will emerge from the four ?corridor options? currently being considered as part of a $1.5 million research project.

The aim of two public events, one held last night at St. George town hall and the second this morning at the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce office between 9 a.m. and noon, is to share information with the public and illicit ideas and preferences before a favoured option is singled out.

The Causeway was opened in 1871 but over the years has been damaged and at times been put out of bounds due to hurricanes, most recently Hurricane Fabian in 2003 and the closure to traffic during last month?s near miss from Hurricane Florence.

?We?re in the early stages of the study. We?re looking for public feedback from these open meetings and from our website,? said Richard Crossley, a Works and Engineering Ministry civil engineer who has previous experience designing and inspecting bridges in the UK and Ireland.

Mr. Crossley is leading the New Crossing Study Team and said the aim was to present a report to Government on the way ahead for a new crossing by next Spring.

?All options are open. We have to study the different corridors and whether we are looking at a high-span bridge or a low level bridge with an opening section.?

Works and Engineering Minister David Burch said: ?It?s important we get input from people who are interested in the replacement of the Causeway. A lot of people are concerned after Hurricane Florence.?

Sen. Burch stressed the importance of getting public feedback before making a decision.

He said the intention was to gather the views of the public through questionnaires at the open displays and through website www.newcrossing.gov.bm before holding a full public meeting, likely to be in January, to feed back the information and views before making a final decision. Amongst those viewing the displays and speaking to key members of the New Crossing Study Team at St. George?s was former St. George?s Mayor E. Michael Jones who reiterated his preference for an ?iconic bridge? to be built.

He said: ?My original concept was for something like Watford Bridge, something iconic that people will want to come and take photos of and watch the sunset from, not just a functional structure.?

Mr. Jones also believes the existing Causeway could be left in place and converted for use solely by pedestrians, cyclists and for those who want to fish from it or sit on benches looking out at the shallow waters.

St. George resident Jean Pimm said: ?There needs to be two routes. I would reinforce the Causeway and also open another route from Coney Island for traffic but not buses or lorries. If anything should happen to one of the routes during a hurricane the other can still be used.?

She was particularly concerned about the East End being without any hospital facility in the event of the Causeway being damaged or closed during a hurricane.

This was something on the mind of Sen. Kim Swan who said he would keep a ?watching brief? on any plans for a new crossing.

Noting Government?s commitment towards a $720 million project to replace the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute and also build three satellite health care centres, Sen. Swan said: ?I would wonder if it is right to take on all these major capital projects at the same time.?