Miami Beach committee backs feasibility study to replace 60th Street drawbridge with higher span or flyover

The Land Use and Sustainability Committee on June 10 recommended a phase‑one feasibility study to evaluate replacing the 60th Street drawbridge with either a higher‑elevation drawbridge or a permanent flyover to reduce frequent bridge openings and road congestion.

Rodney Knowles, assistant director of public works, told the committee the bridge and its opening schedule are under state and U.S. Coast Guard jurisdiction; the Coast Guard has rejected proposals for hourly openings during weekdays but has suggested taking the bridge “off demand” in certain overnight hours as a partial step.

The study the administration recommended would examine two high‑level alternatives: elevating the existing bridge to reduce the number of vessels that require openings, and a full high‑level flyover that would eliminate openings for most vessels. Staff said both options are complex and would be subject to design, environmental and navigational review by FDOT and the Coast Guard.

Committee members asked that the study include a vessel‑profile analysis — the size and mast height of vessels using Indian Creek — to test whether a higher clearance would meaningfully reduce openings. Public Works confirmed it already receives bridge logs from FDOT but said the logs do not record vessel heights; staff agreed to include vessel usage and local stakeholder concerns in the phase‑one scope.

Several commissioners urged staff to pursue immediate, lower‑cost steps while a larger study proceeds: asking the Coast Guard to schedule openings on a set timetable during the currently on‑demand overnight period, and installing visible signage to reduce noise and nuisance from waiting boats. The committee asked staff to check maritime legal issues before installing “quiet‑zone” signage on seawalls.

Public commenters and committee members encouraged staff to pursue outside funding, including state and federal grants and outreach to elected officials in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., citing other Florida bridge projects that received state support tied to evacuation routes and resilience.

Administration recommended the feasibility phase be funded as part of the fiscal‑year 2026 budget process and said a phase‑two concept and cost study would follow if phase one produced a viable preferred alternative.