The debate continues over whether to build a tunnel or a new bridge at the New River crossing in Fort Lauderdale.
“The tunnel may be the best thing since sliced bread, but if we can’t afford to build or maintain it, it doesn’t matter,” said Broward County Commissioner Steve Geller.
Right now, trains cross a drawbridge that was build in the 1970’s but Brightline has been using the tracks more frequently which can cause some delays for sailboat and yacht traffic on the river.
Broward’s expansion of commuter rail, which is part of the Premium Mobility Plan, also requires a new crossing.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis has been pushing for a tunnel. He argues it would be more efficient and would preserve the character of a growing downtown.
“It’s the only solution,” Trantalis said. “We have a redevelopment area that is flourishing. What benefit does this commuter rail provide to the City of Fort Lauderdale in an already flourishing environment? Do we want to repress it or destroy it by putting a bridge through the middle of it with trains rumbling 30 to 60 times a day by your window?“
A joint study which was paid for by the city and county looked into four new options — a 21-foot bascule bridge which can open and close up and down, a 55-foot bascule bridge, and 80-foot fixed bridge or a tunnel.
The projected costs to build a tunnel are around $3 billion whereas the least expensive bridge option is estimated to cost $303 million.
“The bridge may not be the optimum solution, but if it’s the only one we can afford, that will be what we have to do,” said Broward County Commissioner Steve Geller.
“It’s pretty clear that the tunnel is outrageously expensive and we cannot count on getting federal funding for that and we have no funding source for it,” said Commissioner and Mayor Nan Rich.
Jennie Morejon with the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority thinks planners need to look at more options for a tunnel as she believes a bridge would divide communities near the tracks.
“We’ve been promoting a tunnel since day one,” Morejon said. We think it’s the most appropriate solution, but it can also be reasonably comparative to a bridge if we look at the shortest, most cost efficient tunnel solution possible so simply get under the river and back.”
The Florida East Coast Railway still has to approve these plans as the bridge or tunnel would be on their tracks.
Tuesday was just a workshop, so there was no vote or formal decision yet.
