Lauderdale: We don’t want New River bridge

Fort Lauderdale commissioners said a proposed $25 million, 80-foot-tall bridge over the New River would be a waste of taxpayer money and they oppose it.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported last week that the state is quietly studying a pedestrian bridge near where the U.S. 1 tunnel burrows under the river downtown.

The idea was sparked by a January 2016 letter to the state from Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie, who said the walkway through the tunnel is too hazardous for the handful of schoolkids in Victoria Park, a neighborhood north of the tunnel, who are assigned to Harbordale Elementary south of it.

Commissioners this week said they’ll invite Runcie and representatives from the state Department of Transportation to discuss the issue at a public meeting. The $25 million bridge is just one of many potential river crossings — pedestrian tunnel or bridge — that FDOT is evaluating.

“I’m very concerned about it,” said Commissioner Ben Sorensen. Sorensen, who lives in the Rio Vista neighborhood south of the tunnel, said he sees people walking or riding bikes through the tunnel often. He questioned the need for a bridge.

Mayor Dean Trantalis said he’s already heard from the marine industry, which opposes any more obstructions on the river. The 80-foot design is expected to allow boats to pass under it, but other designs wouldn’t. Also, Phil Purcell, the CEO and president of Marine