Bridge or tunnel? Put the question to a public vote | Letters to the editor
When I learned about the high cost and the amount of time it would take to build a railroad tunnel across the New River in Fort Lauderdale, I initially favored a bridge to be constructed instead. However, after reading Fred Grimm’s column in the Nov. 4 issue of the Sun Sentinel, I think the long-term benefits of a tunnel for South Florida should be seriously considered.
The project’s cost and construction time should be weighed against the benefits to road and river traffic and aesthetic issues for Broward County in the future. After the debates and the realistic projections are done, I also believe that the final decision of whether to build a tunnel or bridge should be made by a vote of Broward residents who will bear the ongoing costs and will have to live with this project.
Earl Rodney, Pembroke Pines
An ‘engineering nightmare’
A tunnel in Fort Lauderdale, suggested in a recent letter to the editor, would be an engineering nightmare and is not practical.
Setting aside groundwater issues, most railroads limit grades or inclines to about 1%. A tunnel would entail a one-foot rise or drop for every 100 feet of travel in and out of a tunnel.
Tunnel roof clearance must be at least 20 feet above the rail. Remember, the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway also uses the same route, carrying stacked container freight trains with higher clearance requirements than passenger cars. A 1% grade of incline would amount to 2,000 feet downhill or uphill. In practical terms, at least 1.5 miles would be needed for such a venture, a project on the magnitude of the massive “Big Dig” through downtown Boston.
Ventilation shafts likely would be required to evacuate diesel fumes in covered sections. More than a mile of grade-separation cut would require land condemnation along a large swath of land through the city. Vehicle traffic, on the other hand, could handle larger inclines with less impact. Federal highway regulations would require only 16 or 17 feet of clearance to bridge or tunnel underpasses.
This is an engineering problem that requires a cost-benefit analysis. A tunnel for an existing rail line that’s basically “at grade” in an area of with a high-water table, a few feet above sea level, is a no-go in my opinion. This is a civil engineering challenge. Some might suggest that they do this in New York City all the time, but New York is built on granite bedrock that provides a natural barrier for water ingress while providing structural integrity.
The city’s underground rail traffic is also fumeless and electrified. Employing rail electrification and dual-mode diesel and electric powered locomotives, to avoid diesel fumes, would be an exorbitant option on top of a tunnel. Don’t even go there.
Francine S. Taylor, Delray Beach
(Editor’s Note: Rail experts’ studies have noted that rail freight would continue to travel over a bridge, even if a tunnel were built).
How Hamas harms civilians
Hamas purposely keeps Palestinians in Gaza so that when Israel strikes Hamas, it will cause civilian casualties. Hamas is causing these casualties. Hamas also is not letting American citizens leave Gaza — not Israel — which causes more tension.
The Palestinian people in Gaza have to separate themselves from Hamas and choose a legitimate governing body that wants to help their people and not use them as human shields.
Since 2005, billions of dollars in aid has been given to Gaza, which Hamas has used to make bombs, missiles and tunnels. This money was to be used to help the people develop a thriving economy. The Sun Sentinel should tell the real story, not a distorted one.
Ira Sonsky, Lake Worth Beach