Broward County has unveiled ambitious plans to construct two new rail bridges spanning Fort Lauderdale's New River. This massive project, estimated to cost between $470 million and $495 million, is a cornerstone of a broader plan to connect Jupiter and Miami via a new commuter rail system along the Florida East Coast Railway tracks.
Rendering: TYLin
The current bridge, a relic from the 1970s, has become a bottleneck for both rail and marine traffic. Its frequent closures to accommodate boats have limited passenger train services to 36 trips a day. To address this, Broward County has proposed two towering new bridges: one at 5 feet above water for freight trains and another, 40 feet above water, for passenger trains.
Rendering: TYLin
The designs, developed by the renowned San Francisco-based consulting firm TYLin, incorporate innovative solutions to ensure seamless passage for both rail and marine traffic.
While city officials initially favored a more subterranean solution—a train tunnel—cost estimates of $888 million to $1 billion quickly dashed those hopes.
Rendering: TYLin
Negotiations are underway with Brightline to establish a new commuter rail system similar to Tri-Rail. However, Brightline has demanded roughly $330 million from Miami-Dade, and a similar figure is to be expected from Broward for access to their tracks.
Sign up for Florida of Tomorrow's free newsletter below to receive the latest real estate and new business information shaping the Florida of Tomorrow.