Mayor Dean Trantalis reiterated Fort Lauderdale's position that a tunnel — not a bridge — should be used for the planned commuter rail crossing of the New River from Miami to West Palm Beach, and said the city has drawn international interest from engineering and construction firms.
Nut graf: The mayor framed the crossing decision as generational, saying a bridge would harm the downtown, disrupt marine industry and divide neighborhoods, while a tunnel offers a less intrusive alternative — and the city has opened a competitive procurement dialog with industry.
Trantalis said earlier bridge designs "not only has flaws, but they just don't work," and described an industry day that drew more than 60 participants, including firms that built the Port of Miami tunnel. "We even met with the folks who built the tunnel in Miami called Meridian," he said, and added that the city is working with county, state and federal partners to explore tunnel design and financing.
The address covered other mobility items: the city is piloting adaptive signal technology on Federal Highway with plans to expand to other corridors, the county agreed to retiming and synchronization work, and a county‑built bypass through the port was described as a near‑term relief for Seventeenth Street traffic. Trantalis also noted a study with the Coast Guard to reduce bridge openings during commuter peak hours and said expansion of the Circuit shuttle into northwest neighborhoods has increased ridership.
Ending: The mayor described the New River crossing choice as one that will "impact generations" and urged continued collaboration with regional and federal partners to select the approach the city believes preserves downtown and marine access.