If you ask Palmetto Bayers — including Mayor Karyn Cunningham — the controversial 87th Avenue bridge that Miami-Dade wants to build across the C-100 canal at 164th Street is not a done deal. Not by a mile.
There are still a lot of questions and concerns, Cunningham said. Not to mention a looming lawsuit.
But the county — which has been railroading this bridge down everyone’s throats like it’s a do-or-die emergency — presented some very elaborate designs on Wednesday in a virtual meeting where Miami-Dade employees with the Department of Transit and Public Works talked about it like it had already happened.
Read related: Palmetto Bay council gets an earful, changes course on 87th Avenue bridge
“The project consists of the Design and Construction of a new bridge that will provide vehicle travel lanes, dedicated bike lanes with physical raised separation from vehicle traffic, curb & gutter and sidewalk in both directions, northbound and southbound,” reads the notice for the meeting, which nobody was expecting.
Miami-Dade Department of Transit and Public Works Highway Bridge Engineering Manager Ryan Fisher talked about how it will be designed for bike and pedestrian use as well as vehicular travel and how it will have crosswalks and retaining walls and how the bridge is going to rise when it needs to and how it will have a 75 year life.
The drawings show a flat slab type bridge with rubble banks and “decorative brickwork” on the abutments and “decorative detailing” on the exterior barrier walls.
The construction is expected to start next year and end in 2024, Fisher said.
“The project scope includes a new roadway, storm water drainage system, signing and pavement markings, bridge lighting, fencing and landscaping along the project,” the notice says.
We’re at the point where we are talking about lighting and landscaping?
Wait one U.S. 1 minute, said Cunningham and other Palmetto Bay residents who have been fighting this bridge for more than three decades. The village council voted last month to take the county to court over the way the decision was made. Sure, they have issues with the concept. But their only legal recourse might be on the process — and a lawsuit will slow things down at the very least.
Read related: Controversial 87th Avenue bridge comes back to county at TPO meeting
Cunningham questioned the county’s timing.
“This meeting is taking place while we are still in a legal process,” she wrote in an email to residents Wednesday. She also said that Village Attorney John Dellagloria and outside Counsel Gerry Greenberg have been trying for weeks to schedule a Joint Meeting of the Commission and Council to no avail. “Yet there was no problem finding a date, during a busy holiday month, when many will not be paying attention to important Village matters, to schedule a meeting to discuss bridge design and garner input.”
It’s obviously by design, madam mayor. This is how appointed commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, who has yet to appear at any of these virtual community meetings, operates. This is the same way she brought the bridge up in February as part of a countywide item to connect many broken streets, but it was whittled down to just 87th Avenue. She put the ordinance on a county agenda using the COVID-19 emergency executive order to fast track it and sidestep public notice requirements.
Shady move.
Village leaders and residents argue that it was not a COVID emergency and that Cohen Higgins used the provision inappropriately, at best, or abusively, at worst. It does show the lengths to which she will go to get this done.
Basically, the commissioner used the pandemic as an excuse to bring this up without having to let people know. There’s a feeling she is kowtowing to the voters in Cutler Bay, who overwhelmingly want the bridge. But why so hard? Who’s going to get that construction contract?
Because it’s going to be even juicier than we were told.
Read related: Danielle Cohen Higgins earn distrust with surprise revisit to 87th Avenue bridge
Among the revelations on Wednesday: The 87th Avenue bridge won’t cost $3.1 million, like the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization was told. And it won’t cost $3.4 million as Fisher first re-estimated it would cost.
Recalculating.
Fisher said on Wednesday that construction alone — because of higher prices for materials and labor — was projected to be $2.8 million. He didn’t give the new price tag for the bridge, but Ladra, who can do basic math, asked how much of the $3.4 million in his earlier estimate was for design, engineering and project management, landscaping, etcetera — in other words, not for construction. He said about $1.8 or $1.9 million.
That means the new price tag is around $5.2 million. ¡Pero, por supuesto!
Actually, it probably will be even more expensive by the time the lawsuit winds its way through court.
David Winker, the attorney who represents several residents who oppose the bridge, said he’s confident Palmetto Bay would win the legal battle. “You can’t just say it’s a COVID emergency when it’s not,” he told Ladra.
But Winker agrees with the village attorneys, who said last month that it might just be a temporary stoppage. The Board of County Commissioners could just put it back on the agenda and vote on it again. So can the Transportation Planning Organization.
Critics are not thinking that far. A delay is good enough for now. There could be another commissioner in District 8 by then. Someone elected. Or Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who represented this area as commissioner before she became la alcaldesa, might change her mind about not weighing in. So many things could happen.
Meanwhile, let’s discuss the lighting. Where will it be? How much? Because some residents don’t want it too bright.
And some don’t want it too dark.
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We need the bridge and must complete the grid. The only reason this is even being disputed is because 20 or 30 influential homeowners north of the proposed bridge want keep a county road for their own private use. Doesn’t work that way. Can’t keep thousands of people trapped because it will inconverience a few If they wanted a private road they should have bought in gated community and not a long established north/souith corridor. Palmetto Bay south of Bridge fully supports this project as well as District 8. Let’s not forgot how response time is terrible for fire department and emergency vehicles because of lack of bridge. Lives will be saved. Great by the County and Commissioner Higgins!!! Looking forward to our new bridge
This is a waste of money! Millions of tax payers money for a one mile bridge! District 8 commissioner needs to STOP think and STOP this ridiculous idea! This bridge will not help the traffic, this is NOT the answer!
The traffic time savings are minimal and will be muted in a few years as traffic will continue to congest the bridge to no where. The damage will be irreversible. Remember the county employs people who couldn’t survive in the business world so their talents and abilities are…let’s say limited. Look at bridge maintenance county wide, the disaster at solid waste, and let’s not explore water and sewer…
Anyone who thinks that 141st Street is going to be an easy access to US1 is sadly mistaken!! I guess you haven’t seen the gridlock on 144th and 87th Ave. and 141st and 87th Ave. during rush hour!! Or on 152nd and 87th Ave.for that matter!!! There is no escaping the traffic, especially if Cutler Bay continues to develop without any traffic solutions in their own town!! They should be responsible for finding traffic solutions since they are the ones creating all the traffic!!!
“It does not connect with US1 because it is blocked by 3 shopping centers and a development.”
Uh, so does SW 82 Avenue. It’s actually safer to access US-1 from 141 Street than from 120 Street. The $6 million estimate, (I don’t know where that came from) is false, but if stated enough becomes truth. Just like Mayor Cunningham stating 45,000 new units in her email to village residents.
All of the anti-bridgers will be using it no sooner than when the ribbon is cut to take their boats to Black Point and the mini-dump on 184 Street.
This bridge is a BIG waste of tax payer money. It’s funny how people complain about the Mayor in Palmetto Bay defending our little village against a bridge that goes no where. It is not costing anyone any money because the Village Attorney is on a salary. He gets paid whether or not he defends this bridge. Unlike the bridge that is allegedly going to cost 6 million dollars of tax payer money (according to their estimates, which we know are not accurate. According to several bridge builders we know, bridges don’t cost less than 10 million dollars.) It does not connect with US1 because it is blocked by 3 shopping centers and a development. It moves the congestion from 1 intersection to the next one saving 1 minute at the first intersection but increasing by 3 and 4 minutes at all of the rest of the intersections. Whomever is pushing this bridge that only moves traffic 1 mile into the next already super congested intersection, is irresponsible and has no regard for wasting tax payer’s money. I would even say, they are doing it for their own personal benefit. It’s sad that they continue to push this bridge knowing that it is not a traffic solution, will cost 6 million dollars to save 1 minute at 1 intersection but increase traffic by 3 and 4 minutes at all of the rest of the intersections. Who would do such a ridiculous thing? Who is really wasting taxpayer dollars?
I am a voter in District-8 and will proudly post a DCH sign in my yard. This bridge should have been built years ago and had it would have cost much less than the current proposal. Palmetto Bay represents less than 2% of the total county population. The anti-bridge residents need to get beyond the “needs of the individual, outweighing the needs of the whole.” Do the residents of Dade County know that their tax dollars are being used to fight Palmetto Bay over this issue?
County residents are too smart to quietly accept an expensive bridge that will devastate a quiet neighborhood inviting much traffic, including semi-trucks. Channel funds into plans that DO NOT harm, but actually help. Thank you for reading.
We The People Need better Roads and More of IT ! NOW we have the 30,000+ Illegals For Hire Transporters Uber, Lyft ,Alto ,GoConnect , Freebee and* ALL THIS 1/2 CENT Budget & Friendly Transportation ?
Thank you for pointing out how the district 8 commissioner has disregarded the residents in Palmetto Bay and is pushing this bridge as a traffic solution. Mind you it only extends the traffic for 1miles as it
Dead-ends on 141 St.
Do the residents of Dade County know that 6 million tax payer dollars and probably twice that is being spent on a bridge to no-where.
Dade County residents wake-up and hold you representatives accountable.
District 5 residents do you know that your taxes are going to build a bridge in my neighborhood (District 8).
Thank you for your continued voice for the people.