Stuart - Monday February 20, 2023: Congressman Brian Mast (FL-21) has received notice from the U.S. Coast Guard that it has approved Brightline’s plan to allow the railroad drawbridge across the St. Lucie River in Stuart to remain closed for 21 days from 6 a.m. May 1 through 6 a.m. May 22.
In their response, the Coast Guard said they “conducted extensive outreach to our local, state, and federal maritime partners…[and] engaged with local maritime interests.” USCG said the maritime community expressed preference for the 21-day closure as opposed to potential unplanned closures.
Download and read the Coast Guard’s response to Cong. Mast here.
Brightline will be making repairs to the railroad bridge. As a result, boaters will not be able to traverse the area during that time. Congressman Mast says access will be "cut off" for the many businesses that rely on transiting across both sides of the St. Lucie, including marinas, repair shops, barge companies, and fueling stations.
“It never stops. This is going to be a major disruption to hundreds of boaters who rely on access to the Intracoastal, not to mention have a huge impact for businesses on both sides of the bridge,” Rep. Mast said. “I find it hard to believe that this was the best that Brightline could do; instead, it’s just forced our community to pick the lesser of two evils.”
Less than a month ago, Rep. Mast sent a letter to Rear Admiral Brendan C. McPherson, Commander of the U.S. Coast Guard Seventh District. In it, he requested a full and formal analysis of the economic impact of the proposed plan and that steps be taken to insulate businesses and boaters from said impacts.