FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The railroad drawbridge over the New River in Fort Lauderdale is down pretty often these days.
That’s because there have more trains passing through, like Brightline, that slows everyone down, especially boaters.
As a result, the state wants to build a much bigger and much taller bridge, one that would be about a mile long and run through the heart of the city.
The plans are not sitting well with Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.
He believes the bridge would cut downtown in half.
The area has been seeing a lot of growth, with new buildings bringing more possibilities.
Trantalis wants representatives with the Florida Department of Transportation to attend Tuesday’s meeting on the issue, which will focus on pushing for a tunnel instead of a bridge.
The state claims a tunnel would be too expensive, but the city says it’s possible.
It is not known whether someone from FDOT will be present at the meeting.
Meanwhile, city leaders are fighting the bridge tooth and nail.