In the middle of a controversial battle over two unused bridges to nowhere that would connect West Hialeah to the east through Miami Lakes, someone started construction on the roadway of the 170th Street bridge Wednesday.
Mayor Manny Cid and Town Manager Ed Piederman had to rush to the scene to stop large trucks from excavating trenches and installing drainage pipes along the bridge road, which is near the future American Dream megamall and which Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo has been trying to get opened up since at least 2017.
“There were a bunch of trucks coming over the bridge and digging up the road and getting ready to connect,” Cid said. “It was just complete mess.”
There is video posted on the city’s Facebook page.
Read related: Esteban Bovo to FDOT: ‘Open up NW 170th Street bridge’
“Our police major was on routine patrol of this area and happened to notice there was work going on here,” Piederman says in t
he video.
“We came out here and there was actually drainage work going on on Miami Lakes property and obviously there has been no permits pulled by the contractor and so we came out here and stopped the work,” he adds.
“They actually pulled the draining structures out of the ground because of our action and restored the area so it is safe tonight and they are going to come back and restore it to its prior condition before the end of tomorrow,” Piederman said.
“It is disheartening. This is obviously on Miami Lakes property and they had no concurrence from Miami Lakes to come and do this work.”
Cid said they had to call surveyors to the scene to prove that the roadway was in Miami Lakes’ jurisdiction.
Councilman Josh Dieguez posted a photo on Facebook.
“Gotta love it when Miami-Dade County Government preaches local control 
and Home Rule only to trample on the rights of their cities. Here goes Miami-Dade Dept. of Transportation & Public Works violating the road transfer agreement signed between Miami-Dade County and Town of Miami Lakes- Municipal Government. Absolutely no communication and no inclusion on the planning, design, and construction of road improvements as required under that agreement.”
The town council has called an emergency meeting this Thursday morning to take further action. Town Attorney Raul Gastesi expects them to instruct him to file an injunction against the county, stopping any further bridge work.
The road transfer agreement between Miami Lakes and the county after the town incorporated means that all planning, design, modification and work on roadways within the city must go through the town’s permitting process. And no permits have been issued — or requested.
In fact, according to Gastesi, the town is in discussions with the county attorney’s office about the future of the bridge — the county wants it open, Miami Lakes wants it to remain closed because of the traffic it would bring — and were told they could not have a meeting until November.
Then they start working on the bridge in the meantime?
Read related: Miami Lakes mayor wants a piece of the American Dream pie
This feels like someone (read: Commissioner and mayoral candidate Bovo) felt pressured by the residents west of I-75, which the bridges cross, and ordered the backhoes and excavators.
“It’s not okay. It’s wholly unacceptable,” Gastesi said. “Especially since we have a procedure under Florida law that is the dispute resolution process.
“We really tried to avoid this. There are things that could be done. There are ways to possible resolve this. We’re not unreasonable. We wanted to sit down with them and are ready to resolve this and they wouldn’t give us a date until late November,” Gastesi said, getting agitated.
“And at the same time they started to build it and in fact trespassed.”
Gastesi expects to be in court Thursday morning to stop further construction.
Miami Lakes stops 170th Street bridge work by county contractors added by Ladra on
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