MEDIA CONTACT:
Misti Guertin, Communications and Digital Media Manager
Telephone: 772-600-1250 | Cell: 772-285-6850 | Email: mguertin@ci.stuart.fl.us
Nighttime St. Lucie River Railroad Bridge Closures to Begin Sunday, Aug. 27 through Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023
U.S. Coast Guard Approves Outages for Additional Improvements to Railroad Bridge
STUART, Fla (August 25, 2023) – Brightline and Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) will complete additional rehabilitation work on the St. Lucie River Railroad Bridge in Stuart, Florida, in advance of Brightline’s opening to Orlando. The United States Coast Guard approved the request by FECR to temporarily deviate from the temporary deviation so the work can be completed.
Nighttime bridge closures will take place Sunday evening, August 27, to Monday morning, August 28, and again Monday evening, August 28, to Tuesday morning, August 29. In addition, intermittent closures will occur in the days prior to and after the full closures for preparatory and completion activities. See full schedule below. The scope of work includes replacement of timber ties and lift rails to improve operating speeds over the bridge.
The bridge schedule, including construction alerts such as this, is available on the new St. Lucie Bridge Schedule App and Website for mariners that was recently launched by Brightline and FECR. The technology communicates real-time schedule information providing the community with predictability and reliability of bridge openings. To download the bridge app, search for “Bridge Schedule” in the Apple and Android app stores or visit http://www.bridgeschedule.com/.
In addition to the bridge app and website, Brightline and FECR installed variable message signs on each side of the bridge, which are interconnected to the railroad signal system. The signs display a countdown to each bridge closure and opening. Brightline also recently constructed a bridge monitor house, and a bridge monitor is located on site between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. every day. The bridge monitor is the main point of contact for daily waterway usage and can be reached via VHF Channel 9 or by phone at 772- 403-1005.
Brightline will continue to communicate information to the public through a variety of additional channels including Twitter, the Brightline website and via Brightline’s text alert system, text: “STL” to 888-384-0037 to sign up for text alerts.
St. Lucie River Railroad Bridge Work Schedule
Intermittent overnight bridge closures 8/25-8/26 and 8/26-8/27:
- From 9 p.m. on 8/25 to 6 a.m. on 8/26, the bridge will be closed intermittently but will not exceed 60 consecutive minutes.
- From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on 8/26, the drawbridge will be open to navigation at the top of the hour for 10 minutes.
- From 9 p.m. on 8/26 to 6 a.m. on 8/27, the bridge will be closed intermittently but will not exceed 60 consecutive minutes.
- From 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. on 8/27, the drawbridge will be open to navigation at the top of the hour for 10 minutes.
Full overnight bridge closures 8/27- 8/28 and 8/28 to 8/29:
- Drawbridge to remain in the down (closed) position between 11 p.m. on 8/27 and 11 a.m. on 8/28.
- Drawbridge to remain in the down (closed) position between 11 p.m. on 8/28 and 11 a.m. on 8/29.
Intermittent daytime bridge closures 8/30 and 8/31:
- Between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. on 8/30 and 8/31, the drawbridge will be open to navigation at the top of the hour for 10 minutes.
For more information, contact Katie Mitzner, Brightline, Director of Public Affairs, katie.mitzner@gobrightline.com or (407) 502-3587.
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