Brevard County commissioners to seek restrictions on Mathers Bridge openings for boaters

Brevard County commissioners have decided to ask the U.S. Coast Guard to restrict the openings of the Mathers Bridge, a swing-span bridge over the Banana River. The change would allow boaters to pass the bridge only on a specific schedule, rather than whenever they want.

The unanimous County Commission vote came after the latest in a series of malfunctions of the bridge, which now opens and closes as many as 1,400 times a month to allow boats to pass.

The bridge connects South Tropical Trail on the southern end of Merritt Island to the western end of Banana River Drive in Indian Harbour Beach.

According to a report submitted by District 4 County Commissioner Curt Smith — whose district includes the bridge area — "the principal reasons the county requested to go to a scheduled bridge opening arrangement, rather than on-demand opening, were to reduce wear and tear on the bridge, and provide predictability for both boat and vehicular traffic, including emergency response."

The bridge most recently was inoperable from Oct. 13 to Nov. 4 because of a mechanical failure, due to wear-related issues.

"The bridge was disabled and could not automatically be opened for waterway traffic," Smith's report noted. "After repairs were completed, staff believes by returning to opening the bridge on a set time schedule will reduce the wear and tear on the bridge’s operating mechanisms, thereby reducing costs and downtime."

Previous Coast Guard action

At the request of the county, the Coast Guard previously allowed a deviation to the regular schedule for a six-month period between Feb. 5, 2018, and Aug. 4, 2018, allowing for openings of the bridge on the hour and half-hour, as opposed to on-demand openings.

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After that test, the Coast Guard accepted the results of its survey of users — many of them boaters opposed to the change — and directed the county to revert back to the on-demand bridge opening schedule.

Smith wants to revisit the concept of time-specific openings of the bridge for boaters.

Smith's resolution said that "it is in the best interest of Brevard County taxpayers, motorists and boaters alike to reduce the increased frequency of mechanical breakdowns, high cost and inconvenience associated with the maintenance and operation" of the bridge.

It said having the Coast Guard approve the permanent change to the operational schedule of Mathers Bridge to a set time schedule would "provide for a cost-effective operation, reduce wear and tear on the operating mechanisms, and

provide for a predictable transportation environment."

Members of public react

Two members of the public who live on Merritt Island near the bridge addressed the County Commission prior to its latest vote on the issue.

"We're wearing that bridge out," with all the openings and closings, said South Tropical Trail resident Frank Kingston, who is the founder and president of ABS Structural Corp., a Melbourne-based engineering services company involved in bridge building and rebuilding.

He said 1,400 cycles a month of openings and closings "is beyond imagination."

Kingston said, because of its relatively low clearance height, Mathers Bridge has to open for most boats other than flats boats or jon boats.

Kingston noted that, in general, swing-span bridges and other types of movable bridges are "very expensive, they break a lot, and they don't provide adequate pass-through for maritime traffic."

Vince Lamb, a resident of Dragon Point Drive, said having a set schedule for bridge openings for boaters would allow more predictability for both boaters and motorists.

He said openings every half-hour would be "the perfect solution."

But other area residents are opposed to the proposed change.

Among them is George Nebeling, a resident of Walapeg Road in Indian Harbour Beach, not far from the bridge.

Nebeling — a boater who traverses the bridge area in his boat about two dozen times a year — said the wind patterns near the bridge can make it hazardous for boaters if they need to wait up to a half-hour for the bridge to open.

He also said, in the past, he has talked with some residents of the South Tropical Trail area who fear timed bridge openings, rather than on-demand openings, would increase vehicular traffic along South Tropical Trail. That's because drivers would no longer worry about whether the bridge is open or closed to vehicles.

Nebeling has sent emails to county commissioners, expressing his opposition to any changes, and said he will organize opposition to the change, if the proposal moves forward.

In comment on the proposed change, Nebeling said: "I think it's a waste of everyone's time and effort."

Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bydaveberman.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: County commissioners ask Coast Guard to restrict Mathers Bridge openings