Only minor damage on St. Lucie River bridge, according to new report, tcpalm.com 
STUART — Rail expansion opponents have invoked the dangers of the 75-year-old St. Lucie River drawbridge in their fight against All Aboard Florida since day one.
But a report soon to be released by Martin County seems to reveal a relatively safe bridge, one far from “imminent failure.”
“We expected to see more (damage) because of the current but, basically, most of the cracks can be repaired,” said Terry Rauth, Martin County deputy engineer.
Martin County Commissioners in March commissioned the bridge study, saying it could prove useful in its legal battle against All Aboard Florida. The 48-page report, dated Sept. 11, is based on a series of underwater inspections conducted in May, according to the county.
Rauth on Wednesday downplayed the importance of the bridge study report.
“The report is what it is,” she said. “We couldn’t explore the mechanical portions of the bridge that we’ve been worried about.”
Florida East Coast Railway, the bridge’s owner, declined to provide Martin County access to portions of the bridge above water, and — despite multiple requests made by local governments over the last year — refused to provide safety inspection reports, according to Martin County.
Florida East Coast Railway did not return calls for comment.
Martin County’s concerns about the bridge are becoming more urgent as work on All Aboard Florida proceeds.
Work on Phase I of the $3 billion passenger rail project between Miami and West Palm Beach is underway. Phase II, from West Palm Beach through the Treasure Coast and up to Orlando, could begin later this month, according to All Aboard Florida.
The company’s planned work includes construction of a second track, parallel to the existing Florida East Coast Railway — everywhere except the St. Lucie River train bridge.
The narrow drawbridge would be the only single-track section along the entire corridor and could present unique scheduling issues for the passenger rail, which will share the tracks with sister-company Florida East Coast Railway’s slower freight trains. All Aboard Florida’s planned 16 daily round trips, plus freight traffic, could force up to 50 daily bridge closures.
“That’s the county’s biggest concern,” Rauth said about wear-and-tear from frequent closures and increased delays for mariners. “We’d like to see double tracking and a wider opening, one that allows two-way boat traffic. Otherwise, we’re looking at some two-hour delays for boaters.”
Martin County commissioners in March approved spending $40,000 on the underwater bridge study.
According to the report, dated Sept. 11, the bridge’s substructure is “stable” but should receive routine maintenance in the next two to three years.
More information is needed for definitive conclusions about its safety, according to the engineers.
“While the general condition of the substructure appears to have been maintained and repaired regularly,” the bridge’s ability to handle increased traffic “cannot be determined from the information obtained from the dive inspection and limited photos made available,” the report states.
The report also notes the existence of a 30-foot sunken ship on the south side of the south pier.
Calls on a raft of agencies, including the Federal Railroad Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard, for more careful examination of the bridge have met limited success over the last year.
The Federal Railroad Administration does not routinely collect inspection reports, and it’s unclear if or when the bridge was last audited.
All Aboard Florida in a recently-released environmental impact report acknowledged potential waterway navigation issues and dangers presented by the aging bridge and suggested mitigation measures, include posting bridge-closure schedules online and coordinating more closely with emergency responders.