Will commuter trains cross the New River by bridge or tunnel? County to likely make final call

In the urgent march to expand commuter rail, a long-running feud is heating up between Fort Lauderdale and Broward County over the best way to get Brightline’s high-speed trains across the New River.

In one corner sits the entire county commission, with a clear preference for a bridge, the less expensive option at anywhere from $303 million to $572 million, depending on size.

In the other corner is Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, who has been championing a tunnel experts say will cost $3 billion. A tunnel may be more pricey, but it’s the best option for a downtown that would be negatively impacted forever by a bridge, the mayor says.

Not all of his colleagues agree that a tunnel is the way to go.

Fort Lauderdale Commissioner John Herbst says he also prefers a tunnel, but not if the city can’t afford it.

Under current plans, the federal government would pay 50% of the tab and the county and state would each pay 25%.

“I believe a tunnel is the preferred option, but at the end of the day, I think the best option is the one that gets done,” Herbst said from the dais recently. “This is very important, not only for Fort Lauderdale but for the county and our neighboring cities. I don’t want to convey to the county that we are not willing to consider any other option.”

City commissioners are expected to tackle the issue at their meeting on Nov. 7. Fort Lauderdale commissioners are expected to meet jointly with the county commission at a later date that has not yet been set.

So far, county commissioners have balked at the notion of spending billions on a tunnel.

A 3.5-mile tunnel would require an underground station and sit 66 feet below the mean high water level at its deepest point, according to a consultant hired by both the county and city.

The cost to operate and maintain a tunnel over a 50-year period would hit an astronomical $3.3 billion, according to the consultant, Whitehouse Group. A tunnel would take 10.5 years to build.

By contrast, a mid-level bridge with 56.5 feet of vertical clearance would cost $80.7 million to operate and maintain over a 50-year time span, the consultant said. The 2.5-mile bridge would take 8.5 years to build.

A low-level bridge with 25 feet of vertical clearance would cost $303 million and take 7.5 years to build. The cost to operate and maintain the mile-long bridge over 50 years: $45.7 million.

Marine industry experts have told county and city officials that a 25-foot-high bridge is too low. With up to 36 Brightline trains crossing the river every day, marine industry professionals say a bridge will have to be at least 40 feet high to avoid causing backups on the river.

During a recent workshop, county commissioners suggested building a 40-foot-high bridge.

County Commissioner Beam Furr had another request.

It will need to be a good-looking bridge, he told his colleagues.

“If we build a government center, this (bridge) is going to go right in front of it,” he said.

Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Steve Glassman said still prefers a tunnel, but if it must be a bridge, it better be a nice one.

“If a bridge is the only answer, it better be the most incredibly stunning piece of art you’ve ever seen,” Glassman said. “It better be a knock-your-socks-off bridge. This cannot be your grandfather’s bridge. It needs to be unlike any bridge you’ve ever seen.”

The mayor of Fort Lauderdale doesn’t even want to think about a bridge, pretty or not.

When asked whether the city would have input on the design if a bridge gets built though downtown, Trantalis had this retort: “There will be no bridge. So I’m not even going to answer that question.”

Herbst says the city might not have a say in the matter of whether the county goes with a tunnel or bridge.

“We can express our preferences,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it really is the county’s decision. I’d love a tunnel, but frankly I think we’re going to wind up with a bridge. I think we lack the financial resources. Everything is a matter of money. Time and money.”

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan