STUART, Fla. — Brightline and the Florida East Coast Railway have launched a schedule app and website for the St. Lucie River drawbridge, offering mariners real-time information on bridge operations.
The bridge began operating under a new schedule on Aug. 15 under a new “temporary deviation” announced by the U.S. Coast Guard [see “Coast Guard revises Stuart bridge directive …,” Trains News Wire, Aug. 11, 2023]. The operation of the single-track bridge had been a significant point of contention between the local marine industry and Brightline.
The smartphone app is available at the Apple and Android stores by searching for “bridge schedule,” or by visiting bridgeschedule.com, where bridge information is also available. Both the website and app also include information for the New River Bridge in Fort Lauderdale.
Brightline has also installed message signs on each side of the bridge displaying a countdown to bridge openings and closings, and constructed a bridge monitor house, where a bridge monitor will be on site from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The bridge monitor, the main point of contact for waterway usage, can be reached via VHF Channel 9 or by phone at 772-403-1005.
Brightline and FEC have also hired a Manager of Waterway Communications, a Coast Guard-licensed captain based in South Florida, who will serve as a liaison with the marine communities in South Florida and the Treasure Coast area.
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