FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Controversy is brewing over plans to deal with an aging downtown Fort Lauderdale landmark.
Most agree the time has come to replace it, but with what?
“We have a chance now to do something that’s going to impact generations to come. Let’s do it right instead of having to do it right now,” said City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.
More commuter trains are likely headed to South Florida to hopefully help with traffic.
We could see as many as 40 additional trains a day. That’s a lot of traffic on railroads, especially in populated areas like downtown Fort Lauderdale and a big sticking point: the bridge over the New River.
It’s in the upright position most of the time to prioritize the multibillion-dollar marine industry, but with that many trains, the bridge would be down for hours upon hours.
The solution? Bypass the city.
The Florida Department of Transportation wants to build a bridge that will go essentially across downtown Fort Lauderdale, could be 80 feet in the air.
The mayor has a different idea. He wants a tunnel under the city.
Neither option is cheap, and it would take a combo of federal, state and local dollars to get it done.
A bridge, depending on height, is around $500 million.
A tunnel is in the $2 billion range.
FDOT thinks it’s even more.
“Originally, FDOT said it would cost close to $4 billion to build a tunnel,” said Trantalis.
But the mayor said he’s done his research.
“These people who build tunnels all over the world have said that it’s not only gonna cost less than half. We can do it quickly and efficiently,” said Trantalis.
Whichever is headed to Fort Lauderdale, a bridge or a tunnel, it’s a ways off and hard to even imagine how long it would take to construct it.
But a big change could be on the way for a big city.
They just have to decide if it’ll be above ground or below.
“Let’s do it so that it connects all forms of transportation, and at the same time, let’s do it so it makes sense for our community and not just expedite a transportation system,” said Trantalis.
A final recommendation will come from the county. They will vote on the issue sometime in February.
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