The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is conducting a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study for the New River CSX Railroad Bascule Bridge in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida.
This bridge was fabricated by the Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Co. of Chicago and installed in its current location in the late 1920s as part of the Miami Extension for the Seaboard Air Line Railway. For many years this corridor has been utilized for the movement of freight and intercity passengers (Amtrak) to and from south Florida. In more recent years, this corridor has also been utilized for commuter passenger rail services by Tri-Rail.
An inspection of this bridge conducted in 2005 revealed a significant loss of strength in the piles supporting the bridge, resulting in the determination that the bridge has become structurally deficient. The bridge was also subject to an emergency structural repair in 2005 required to stabilize the approach spans. The additional supports implemented as a result of this action restrict the width of channel available for navigation. This condition, along with the substandard train clearances of the bascule bridge, has also rendered this bridge functionally obsolete. As a result, the purpose of this PD&E Study is to identify the preferred bridge alternative (either no-build, rehabilitation or replacement) that will adequately accommodate future rail and marine traffic in the study area.
For a project location map, click here.
For a series of project related photos, click here.
