Railroad Bridge over St. Lucie will be in down position for 21 days starting May 1
Stuart, Fl (treasurecoast.com)- Brightline has reassured the City of Stuart that its crews will work around the clock to make the necessary upgrades to the 98 year old railroad drawbridge across the St. Lucie River in Stuart.
The bridge is being rehabilitated to improve its operating reliability. The work will begin with nighttime closures in April followed by a subsequent 21-day navigation channel closure, with the drawbridge in the down position, starting at 6 a.m. May 1 through 6 a.m. May 22.
Here are the details
Approved by The United States Coast Guard, GoBrightline will begin rehabilitation of the railroad bridge over the St. Lucie River beginning Sunday, April 16 with nighttime bridge closures starting Sunday, April 16 at 8 p.m. and include a subsequent 21-day bridge closure, with the drawbridge in the down position, starting May 1 to improve the bridge’s operating reliability. During the 21-day bridge closure, Brightline crews will work around the clock, 24/7, to complete the work.
Due to the type of construction work and necessary safety precautions, rehabilitation of the drawbridge requires that the bridge be rendered inoperable and remain in the down position, impacting the drawbridge operations and boats requiring an opening to pass. (See full schedule below.)
Once the work is complete, boaters will see several benefits including dependability of bridge openings and closings, reducing the risk of unplanned closures. Brightline is also implementing several mitigation measures prior to beginning train service to Orlando, including a real-time bridge opening and closure app, countdown clock at the bridge and a bridge monitor. Construction of the bridge monitor house is also currently underway and will not impact the navigation channel.
