LOXAHATCHEE RIVER RAILROAD BRIDGE … CLOSING NOTICE

The Loxahatchee River Railroad Bridge in Jupiter will close intermittently next week.  The bridge, which is owned and operated by Florida East Coast Railway, will be closed to boating traffic during the scheduled maintenance.   Last week a malfunction with the bridge left the Town of Jupiter and the Village of Tequesta with a traffic quandary. 

According to Florida East Coast Railway representative, Senior Vice President Robert Ledoux, “an electrical problem caused the bridge to remain in the upright position shortly before noon on March 7, 2015.”  The malfunction stopped a southbound freight train, no pun intended, "in its tracks".  Resulting in three vital crossings to be blocked, dividing the town in half.  Fire rescue noted aside from being an inconvenience to drivers, but for police and fire, it had potential to become a life and death scenario.

The railway bridge is supposed to get a “mechanical makeover” when All Aboard Florida, passenger rail service, begins its runs between Miami and Orlando.  The Loxahatchee River Railroad ridge takes approximately 30 minutes to go down for trains to pass and then back up for boaters when functioning normally.

Coast Guard is issuing alerts stating that maintenance on the 90 year old bridge will be March 23 through March 25, 2015, Monday through Wednesday, between 7:30a.m and 11:30a.m. and resume from 1:00p.m. to 5:00p.m.