Marine Businesses File Suit Over Bridge Closure Schedule

By Ed Killer for CAM

How will the Coast Guard regulate the railroad bridge over the St. Lucie River in Stuart when Brightline begins operating its passenger service between West Palm Beach and Orlando?

That’s the multi-million-dollar question now isn’t it? And it’s setting the stage for a battle between two sides of private businesses on the Treasure Coast.

In one corner is Brightline and the FEC Railway who have requested of the Coast Guard they would like the railroad drawbridge to be in the down position as long as possible, up to 45 minutes each hour. In the opposing corner are marine businesses throughout Martin County and beyond who have told the Coast Guard they need the drawbridge in the open position for 45 minutes of every hour, or else their businesses will suffer.

It’s a battle royale that has found its way to a federal courtroom. On April 21, 13 marine businesses in Martin County filed suit against the USCG, Army Corps of Engineers and FEC Railway demanding the USCG follow laws already on the books to keep a federal waterway unobstructed. It’s more than the St. Lucie River where the bridge crosses - it’s also MM 7.4 of the Okeechobee Waterway, the only cross state waterway in Florida..

At CAM press time, more plaintiffs are expected to and encouraged to join the lawsuit.

Brightline has said it may begin passenger service as early as this month. The company plans to run 16 train routes each day - 32 trips across the bridge each day, it told the Coast Guard. FEC also runs about 15-18 freight trains a day.

The 13 plaintiffs include:

• Atlantic & Gulf Dredging & Marine

• Indiantown Marine Center

• AC Meridian Marine

• Ferreira Construction Co.

• McCulley Marine Services

• DL Milling Family

• Indiantown Marina

• Willis Custom Yachts

• MarineMax

• Mobro Marine

• B eyel Brothers

• HMY Yacht Sales and

• Simply Yachts

U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fort Pierce supports the lawsuit and has said Sen. Marco Rubio is on board, too. Mast said at a press conference May 1: “The train company and the Coast Guard are giving the Treasure Coast boater huge middle fingers with this situation.” within sight of Digger Rich all day.

“Over a 15-hour window of the day ... they’re closing off the waterway 9½ hours of the day out of 15 hours. Is that equitable to the community whose resource that is?” Mast asked Fagan.

The Coast Guard has not announced its ruling yet on what the actual schedule for the bridge opening will be.

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