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Commission hears design choices for Sample Road and Northeast 31st Court bridges
Summary
Design consultant Kimberly Horn briefed the Lighthouse Point commission on 30%-level bridge designs for Sample Road and Northeast 31st Court, laying out two sidewalk options (barrier-separated vs. raised) and railing alternatives (DOT vs. Texas style). Commissioners prioritized double barriers on Sample Road and a raised sidewalk for 31st Court while debating bike-lane provisions.
The City of Lighthouse Point commission spent the largest portion of its Dec. 10 meeting on preliminary designs for two neighborhood bridges. Kimberly Horn, presenting the 30% design submittal, said engineers had completed topographic and geotechnical surveys, utility locates and hydraulic modeling and were refining construction sequencing to maintain single‑lane travel during work.
"The big thing we're doing right now is the hydraulic modeling we're going through," Horn said, explaining the team is testing velocities and storm-surge behavior under the Sample Road bridge so the final design will provide adequate resilience and clearance. She outlined two sidewalk treatments: a barrier‑separated sidewalk (a physical interior barrier plus guardrail transitions) and a raised‑sidewalk approach, noting trade‑offs in width, cost and aesthetics. Horn said the Texas‑style ornamental railing would cost roughly $30,000 more than the standard DOT railing but would offer a more open visual treatment while meeting crash-test requirements.
Commissioners pressed on safety and multimodal access. Several favored double barrier protection on Sample Road because of high pedestrian activity and local speeds; others worried about guardrail aesthetics and the need for substandard guardrail transitions where space is tight. The mayor said he favored tailoring each bridge individually: "Sample Road is going to be different, bulkier because it's a more thoroughfare," and he urged accommodating future bike use where feasible.
After extended discussion about whether to include bike lanes across the bridges and where sidewalks should tie into existing crossings, commissioners indicated a tentative preference: a raised sidewalk for the narrower 31st Court bridge and a barrier-separated (double-barrier) treatment for Sample Road, with staff returning with 30% drawings that reflect the commission's direction. Horn and staff emphasized that railing style (DOT vs. Texas) is less critical at this stage and can be refined before final design.
