STUART, Fla. — For more than a year, boaters and elected officials have voiced concerns over Brightline running up to 32 trains across it.
Mariners like Howard Mason, who lives on a boat docked just west of the bridge, feel it’s a nuisance.
“It causes great obstructions with the marine traffic as it opens and closes so many times a day,” said Mason.
He’s been holding on to hope that the bridge will be replaced with a taller, newer version.
“I’ve heard that they’ve wanted to raise the bridge and I think it’s a good thing to do," he said, "but I don’t think that the taxpayers should be responsible for coming up with the money.”
The Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) and the city of Stuart have been working on a project to make it happen.
If built, the new proposed bridge, will have a 17-foot clearance, which is much higher than its current 6-foot height.
This week the project hit a roadblock.
The city of Stuart told WPTV that the FEC recently applied for funding from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and did not receive it.
Our reporter Cassandra Garcia asked the FRA if it was denied the grant money. They told her, “projects are selected based on merit according to the evaluation criteria.”
“It makes me feel frustrated," Mason said. "I would like to see something done, because it’s very difficult for a mariner to go through that bridge.”
In total, the bridge will cost $218 million. Last December, Stuart received a $130.5 million grant to fund it.
WPTV has reached out to both the FEC and Brightline for comment on the FRA’s decision and whether there are plans to apply for next year’s round of funding, but we are still waiting to hear back.
In the meantime, Mason is hoping the FEC won’t give up on a new bridge.
“That bridge has been here maybe 100 years, or close to it, and when it was just freight trains it was not that many openings a day," said Mason.
More of WPTV's coverage on the St. Lucie railroad bridge:
Region Martin County
Federal grant to fund new St. Lucie River railroad bridge
Port St Lucie
New St. Lucie River railroad bridge could cost $218 million, take over 4 years
Stuart
St. Lucie River railroad bridge to close Thursday for Brightline work
Palm City
St. Lucie River railroad bridge to reopen Monday to boaters during daytime
Region Martin County
Brightline’s high-speed testing to impact railroad crossings, St. Lucie bridge
Region Martin County
