Dear Fellow Venetian Causeway Residents and Friends:
We need your help to get the East Venetian Bascule Bridge locked down during the upcoming West Bridge reconstruction that is anticipated to take nine months. The East Bridge “lock down” is necessary to ensure that island residents can ultimately reach the mainland and ensure that the islands are not cut off from emergency services like ambulances,fire trucks and police.
During the nine months of construction, the Venetian Causeway will be disconnected form Miami, and the only way on and off our Causeway will be over the East Bascule Bridge to Miami Beach. The East Bascule Bridge does occasionally get stuck in the open position. Normally, this is only an inconvenience and the remedy is as a detour over the West Bridge. During the reconstruction, detouring via the West Bridge will not be an option.
Should the East Bascule Bridge get stuck open, our island homes will be completely cut off. Repairs will take longer as a boat will be needed to transport the crew, tools and spare parts to the Bridge Tender’s station. Repairs at night may not be viable as there is no dock for the repair boat. Not only is this an incredible problem for residents who will not be able to get to and from their homes, but it is a safety issue as ambulances, fire trucks, and police will also be prevented from reaching our islands.
This dangerous situation is easily avoidable – we must petition the Coast Guard, which is in charge of bridge openings, to lock down the East Bridge, so that it does not open for marine traffic, during the West Bridge reconstruction.
The Coast Guard’s current plan is to reduce East Bridge openings to twice daily – 10:30am and 7:30pm. This is an unacceptable solution as it still exposes Venetian Islands residents, twice daily, to the “opportunity” for the bridge to be stuck open and for the residents to be cut off from access to the mainland and to emergency services. The East Bascule Bridge has degraded to the point where it is officially classified as “structurally deficient.” I expect the failure rate to increase as it continues to age.
The Coast Guard is sensitive to public demand. I urge you to send an email as a Venetian Island Resident requesting that the East Bascule Bridge be completely locked down during West Bridge reconstruction. For the boaters among us, the West Bascule Bridge will be locked in the “Up” position during construction, which will give boaters better access than they have today.
Thank You,
Michael Fryd
Venetian Islands Resident
Good Morning Mr. Brendel,
Here is the current status (from the LNM) of the East Venetian Bridge:
FLORIDA – MIAMI ENTRANCE CHANNEL – MIAMI BEACH CHANNEL – EAST VENETIAN BRIDGE: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
The Coast Guard has been advised that the planned 9 month operation to repair the West Venetian Bridge approaches has been delayed until the Spring of 2015. All comments received from this NPRM will be maintained and properly recorded. The Coast Guard is working on a Temporary Final Rule with requests for comments which may allow this bridge to remain closed for the proposed nine month period.
The start date has not been provided at this time, by the bridge owner, Miami-Dade County. The Local Notice to Mariners and TFR will be updated once this information is provided.
Ref: LNM 39-14 through 09-15 Chart: 11467
FYI – We still don’t have a start date; therefore, we haven’t published any rule yet.
Respectfully,
Rob Glassman
Transportation Assistant
USCG D7 Bridge Branch