Eleuthera is an Island that lies about 70 miles east of Nassau and is approximately 100 miles long and two miles wide at the broadest point. The northern and southern halves of the island are connected by the existing damaged Glass Window Bridge which is located at a much-accentuated narrowing of the land, approximately three miles south of North Eleuthera Airport. At this point the very deep Atlantic Ocean meets the shallow Caribbean Sea.

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The existing Glass Window Bridge, which provides the only vehicular link between North and South Eleuthera, was built in 1990. It is a single span, reinforced concrete slab on prestressed concrete beams bridge with an overall length of approximately 130 ft and was originally designed to carry one lane of traffic in each direction. The channel is approximately 35 ft wide, and the existing bridge is 29 ft 10 in above the water level. In 1991, the bridge was impacted by an extreme storm event that resulted in 70 ft to 100 ft waves which lifted the bridge up and shifted it approximately 9 ft towards the south. Since then, the bridge has experienced additional damage with the passing of Hurricanes Andrew (1992), Floyd (1999) and Michelle (2001). The Ministry of Works and Transport undertook emergency repairs, including the provision of two free-standing columns to support the two end beams on the west side that were displaced from the north abutment. The bridge is presently restricted to only one lane of traffic without undue inconvenience to the residents in view of the light traffic across it.

The existing bridge is shown in Figures 1 and 2. In addition to the poor condition of the existing bridge, the bridge site, as well as several sections along the approach roadway, experiences severe overtopping of the isthmus several times each year as a result of ocean waves impacting and jetting up and above the cliffs, creating sheet flow across the road and resulting in dangerous roadway conditions.