FEC New River Bridge (1978) is a single-leaf bascule railroad bridge spanning the navigable New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The design type is a through plate girder bridge of total span 70 feet /21.3m, providing a horizontal boat navigable clearance of 60 feet/18.3m. Additionally, the bridge comprises three 25-foot approach spans, plus a 14-foot machinery room span, from the north; and two 25-foot spans from the south. Notable was the use of weathering steel to eliminate environmental concerns around initial and future painting. By 1985, the weathering steel had reportedly reached a stable condition for its environment. One of the design criteria for this bridge was to double-track the crossing, removing the bottleneck of a single track bridge at this location dating back to 1912. Now, in the 21st Century, as freight trains are once again sharing the tracks with passenger trains operated by Brightline, alternatives are being studied through the New River Crossing Feasibility Study to further expand capacity by tunnel and various fixed/movable bridge replacement options. Owner: Florida East Coast Railway Company (FEC). Engineer: Greiner Engineering Sciences Inc. General Contractor: Powell Brothers Inc. Broward County, Florida, USA.
Add to Cart Add to Lightbox Download