Rte .44 Brownwood Bridge
 

The positioned the bridge closer to 44 today

Great pictures. Thanks for the update.

Great pics! Thank you! I know there are those who object to all the expansion in TV, and they are entitled to their feelings. However, I think this is an exciting time to be here, with all the changes going on, and having some idea of what is coming in the future!

Here's how it should look when completed.

https://scontent-mia3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...0b&oe=5E0E6EB8

I so agree.

I so agree with you! We drove past the area yesterday on and were amazed at the progress being done. The topography is constantly changing for sure. We'd been by there a couple of weeks ago and the changes were obvious even from that time. Expansion may bring some objections but 10 yrs from now (many of us may not still be here) it will be amazing!! We had a term for objectors up north...it was "NIMBY's" (not in my back yard)...but most of the time it was the newbies that objected the most vehemently.

This NEWBY is anxiously awaiting the time we will be full time. We are continually amazed at all the changes that are occurring so quickly. When we purchased nearly 2 years ago, Desoto was still a sand lot.

We'll finally be down Full-Time in 3 weeks. Can't wait. Does anyone have any info on when we'll be able to cross the Turnpike via Golf Cart and when this bridge over 44 will be open to traffic?

This bridge over 44 is great “marketing” for The Villages. The bridge being built over the Turnpike will be even greater “marketing” for The Villages. Thousands and thousands of Florida visitors will view them every single day of the year.

You betcha!!

Are they leaving it as a open span bridge or will it be like the one at Spanish Springs? I can't wait to see it.

Next year
 

Nobody knows the exact time but several Villagers I know are projecting by the fall of 2020 you will be able to cross the Turnpike into The Villages of Southern Oaks. State Rt 44 bridges won’t get you very far south until the bridges over the Turnpike get functional. :coolsmiley:

Last thing I heard (rumor sort of) was the turnpike bridge will be the end of this year or early next year.

We move in, Sept 5th, and are awaiting the bridge before buying our mandatory golf carts :)

Does anyone else think the Hwy 44 bridge at Brownwood will be moved tonite/early tomorrow morning? Seems like they would do it on a week night, instead of a weekend night when there might be more late night traffic on the road. Just a hunch.

Under Promise and Over Deliver. Sure looks like they will be beating their own time estimate on the Pike Bridge.

It is an exciting time to live here. There are a whole lot of Very Smart People who moved to the far side of the Operation. They in my eyes are very Savy. I envy them. We almost did it but am not going to go until 2021. I can't stand the thought of selling our Manufactured Home in The Historical Section. It will be the perfect place to house the family when they come to visit.

I was concerned about the Bridges a while back. From what the pictures show they are built to very high standards. It really is amazing what people with knowledge and money can build. I would have been down there to look for myself buy Don Goldwingnut said to stay clear for a bit for safety reasons. It is amazing to see a bridge being placed. It looks like the fencing they are using will make encapsulate the entire structure. I don't live their yet but count me as a Grateful Villager!

Just another bridge to no where

When you see the big red "house mover" it will be installed soon.
Those machines are expensive to rent.
First of Three Bridges, Coming Home in The Villages - YouTube

Don Wiley says it's happening tonight:
August 22, 2019 - YouTube

The “house mover” has been on site for a few days. It looks like the move is imminent.

Question; I have seen several comments about a bridge to nowhere. Is there a story I have not heard?

Yes, tonight.

Checkout Don Wiley's YouTube page :coolsmiley:

The bridge has been placed!!! Yay!!!

Looks like they are working on it. Should be in place sometime this evening.

Look again...The bridge is now in place..

How wonderful!

Is this rte 44 bridge near Morse and Rohan?

No, this one is by Brownwood.

Here’s a link to Don Wiley’s video of it:

SR44 bridge movement into place 8-22-19 - YouTube

Here's the Daily Sun article:
Connectivity plan Marks a banner day | News | thevillagesdailysun.com

This is a excerpt from the article that clearly explains that there will be four bridges built:
"Once completed, the Brownwood Bridge will connect to a pond bridge behind the Barnstorm Theater on one side of SR 44 and, on the other side of the highway, to a system of trails and pathways that will lead to another bridge being built over Florida’s Turnpike.

"That Turnpike bridge, called the Water Lily Bridge, will connect residents to the community on the west side of the Turnpike, landing in the Village De Luna near the future Water Lily Recreation Center.

"A few miles south, another bridge is being built to cross SR 44 at Kristine Way near Rohan Recreation Center. The Chitty Chatty Bridge will connect residents with amenities on the east side of the Turnpike, landing in the future Village of Chitty Chatty.

"Construction has not yet started on the fourth bridge, the Bexley Bridge that will connect residents to future amenities in property purchased east of Marsh Bend Trail, formerly County Road 501, and south of Warm Springs Avenue."

It’s pretty exciting! We drove under it today and 44 is looking so much better then it did in 2013.

Now when our family/friends come to visit we just have to tell them “go under the bridge and make the next
left.”:a040:

Here's The Village's video..
A Major Milestone - YouTube

This is the one over the turnpike not 44.

What??? The Brownwood Bridge has been set in place over Rt. 44.

Don is the man! Love his YouTube channel. This video was great. I am surprised it only took 10 minutes to move the bridge across Highway 44. I will see the bridge for myself next month when I visit...another thing to look forward to. :)

Thank you for posting this video. I liked seeing the map. It made it easier for me to picture where the Water Lily and Chitty Chatty bridges are located and where the Brownwood Bridge is in relation to the Water Lily Bridge.

For some reason this site isn't letting me upload pics and videos I took during Thursday night's bridge installation

Thanks for the photo. How long were you able to stop to take the pics and video?

Is there a map showing the exact locations of bridges and roads connecting Brownwood Paddock to Marsh Bend?

Attached is a map that appeared in the Aug. 23 Daily Sun. It shows the locations of all four bridges.

Did you notice that driving toward the bridge from Signature Rd that the Villages logo is not centered across the highway? Not even close.

No one apparently rendered it in place to see how it would look to the intended audience.

Quite possibly it's centered on the bridge itself? That would be the aesthetically pleasing way to do it.

Steve