STUART, Fla. — The operating schedule for the rail drawbridge over the St. Lucie River in in Stuart, Fla., has been revised to allow for repairs to damage sustained when one of the bridge’s bumpers was damaged by a barge on Sept. 30.
WQCS Radio reports the new schedule approved by the U.S. Coast Guard went into effect today (Monday, Oct. 9), and is tentatively expected to extend through Friday, Oct. 27. The schedule calls for the bridge to be open during four fixed periods — 6:55-7:10 a.m.; 9:55-10:10 a.m.; 12:55-1:10 p.m., and 3:55-4:10 p.m. — with additional 10-minute openings approximately every 60 minutes to relieve the line of waiting vessels, subject to the needs of construction crews.
The bridge’s protective fendering system was struck by a tugboat moving a barge on the morning of Sept. 30, leading to a suspension of marine traffic for a day while the bridge remained down pending an inspection [see “Tugboat strikes FEC-Brightline drawbridge …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 30, 2023]. The Coast Guard says the system “suffered substantial damage” and is considered to be a navigational hazard. The construction crew to repair the damage will include scuba divers; mariners are advised to follow onsite directions and adhere to “diver down” restrictions. Mariners are also advised to avoid passing situations within the channel and follow a one-way, single-file traffic flow when the drawbridge is raised.
Rail operations are not expected to be impacted by the repair work. More information on bridge status is available at the bridge information website or Brightline’s drawbridge app.
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