FEDERAL GRANT ANNOUNCED FOR ST. LUCIE RIVER BRIDGE REHAB PROJECT

Miami, FL (August 18, 2026) — USDOT announced the award of an $78.9 million grant to the City of Stuart to rebuild the St. Lucie River Bridge. The grant will allow for the replacement of the existing 100-year-old St. Lucie River Railroad Bridge with a new double-track structure with significantly improved vertical and horizontal navigational clearances. The bridge serves both Brightline and the Florida East Coast Railway, supporting the daily movement of passenger and freight rail traffic while enhancing marine traffic flow on the Okeechobee Waterway, a federal navigation channel.

 

"Rail is critical infrastructure for our state – moving goods and moving people," said Patrick Goddard, CEO of Brightline Trains Florida. "This grant is a win for everyone who shares this corridor – the marine industry, municipalities, rail partners – everyone benefits from modernized infrastructure. We appreciate USDOT prioritizing this project and supporting the continued growth of the region."

 

Modernizing this important rail crossing will increase safety and fluidity for marine traffic, decrease the potential for blocked grade crossings and vehicle collisions, and shift single occupancy vehicles to safer passenger rail travel. Additionally, the replacement of the 100-year-old existing bridge with a new structure will result in lower operations and maintenance costs.

 

“This is an important infrastructure grant for our community,” said Michael Kennedy, FIND Commissioner for Martin County. “Replacing the 100-year-old railroad bridge with a new two-track bridge offering greater vertical and horizontal clearances will substantially reduce impacts on recreational boaters, commercial marine traffic, downtown motorists, marine industries and cruising vessels, while also facilitating passenger and freight rail transportation.”

 

Horizontal clearance will be increased from 50 feet to approximately 90 feet and vertical clearance to Mean High Water (MHW) will be increased from 6.5 feet to approximately 17.75 feet in the closed (down) position, allowing more than 90 percent of vessels to pass with the bridge in the closed (down) position. 

 

"Anyone who's spent time on the St. Lucie River knows that century-old bridge is too low, sitting at 6 feet, too narrow, and stuck in the closed position more often than it should be," said Congressman Brian Mast. "It's a daily headache for boaters and a safety risk for everyone who shares that corridor. Replacing it is long overdue, and this funding gets it done with a new height of 17 feet. I'll keep working to make sure we stay on schedule and build it right.”

 

The full cost of the bridge replacement is estimated at $262 million. This grant combines with an already committed $130 million grant from USDOT from 2023 making this project possible.  

 

__________

 

ABOUT BRIGHTLINE

Brightline seamlessly connects travelers to top destinations and major events between Central and South Florida with stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. The company offers a hospitality-centric experience designed to reinvent train travel at a comparable price to driving or flying. Brightline is recognized as one of TIME100’s Most Influential Companies, one of the World’s 50 Most Innovative by Fast Company and one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Southeast by Inc. The company focuses on city pairs that are too close to fly and too long to drive. Construction is currently underway to connect Las Vegas to Southern California. For more information, visit  www.gobrightline.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

 

MEDIA CONTACTS

Ashley Blasewitz, Brightline, ashley.blasewitz@gobrightline.com

Michael Hicks, Brightline, mhicks@bltrain.com