FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Fort Lauderdale city commissioners voted 3-2 on Tuesday night to accept a new bridge as the replacement for the existing downtown New River drawbridge used by Florida East Coast Railway and Brightline if a tunnel is too expensive, despite the ongoing concerns of the city’s mayor that the tunnel is needed to protect downtown’s interests.
Mayor Dean Trantalis has led the fight against a proposal that could see a 2.5-mile-long bridge built — one with enough vertical clearance to eliminate the need for bridge openings for marine traffic — saying it would divide the community and harm economic development. He prefers a proposal for a 3.5-mile long tunnel under the river [see “Fort Lauderdale officials set to meet …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 18, 2023].
But the tunnel is estimated to cost roughly six times as much — $3 billion, compared to $500 million for the bridge — and the decision ultimately rests in the hands of Broward County, which has indicated the bridge is the preferred option. The county is expected to make its final decision in early 2024.
According to a paywalled article in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Trantalis told those who voted for the proposal, “I hope you three did not just write the epitaph for downtown.”
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