Yogi Berra is reported to have once said, “it looks like deja vu all over again.” We feel the same way. A small group is once again trying to delay the construction of the needed second crossing of the St Lucie River connecting Eastern Martin County to Palm City and the Turnpike and I-95.
The new bridge, some call it the Indian Street Bridge, others the 36 th Street Bridge and still others call it something we won’t print, also would help connect Palm City to schools, hospitals, workplaces, governmental services and vital commercial services, not to mention our beaches. What ever you call it we call it a colossal waste of our tax dollars to allow it to be continually delayed. We have been told that these delays may cost an extra $100,000 per month. That is OUR money.
We have studied this crossing since the 1960’s. We promised the State another crossing when they agreed to four-lane the Palm City Bridge in 1986-87. We have looked at routes that connected Port St Lucie to Jensen Beach, connecting Becker Road with Britt Road or a connection to SR 707 through North River Shores. We have looked at extending West Ocean Boulevard west to join Murphy Road. We have looked at extending Mapp Road over to Kanner Highway. We even looked at a tunnel! All of these options have been rejected because of cost, impact on existing neighborhoods, impacts on the environment or all three. The 714/Indian Street connection was least costly and created the least impact on the then existing residents. Remember that at the time of its selection there was very little development on either roadway. There was no Willoughby, no Danforth Creek, no Whispering Sound or any of the other developments that have occurred since the new river crossing was identified. We even started to acquire the right of way by buying homes in the path of the proposed route using our tax dollars.
Alternate corridor studies have been done at least four times. Every time, the SR 714/Indian Street crossing has been the selected alternative. In 1993, this bridge was the County’s #1 roadway priority and expected to open before 2000. Its estimated cost was $40M at that time.
The Commission elected in 1996 killed the project, losing the required funding back to the State. Had it not been for that very short sighted and selfish former Commission this bridge would now be in service at a price tag probably one third of what it will now cost us all. They had the failed philosophy that if the County did not build roads and bridges, new people would not want to move here. Well “they”, including a lot of you reading this article, did continue to move into Martin County. We cannot afford to continue with that philosophy.
Because of delay and cost increases the estimated cost of construction has now reached close to $150M. The design of the bridge and its approaches is far more elaborate than the 1993 version, due in part to local desires for a boulevard with extensive medians, paths, landscaping, water quality treatment and sound attenuation, and partially due to expanded FDOT safety requirements and widening SR 714.
We believe the bridge should have been open in 2000 at much lower cost. Having failed at that, we believe the County should get it built this time around. A decent transportation system is an important factor in our quality of life. The Comprehensive Plan requires this bridge. Enough studies already, enough time and money wasted, get on with it.