Estelle River
Estelle River Bridge
West Lake Drive — northern crossing, north of Lucille Drive
- Bridge No.
- 865771
- City Project
- P12860
- FDOT Project
- 450868-1-52-01
The Project
The West Lake Drive Bridge Replacement Project
The City of Fort Lauderdale, working with Jacobs Engineering Group as its design consultant, is planning to replace the three bridges that carry West Lake Drive over the Estelle, Lucille and Mercedes Rivers.
The three bridges
Lucille River
Lucille River Bridge
West Lake Drive — middle crossing, between Lucille Drive and Mercedes Drive
- Bridge No.
- 865773
- City Project
- P12861
- FDOT Project
- 450866-1-52-01
Mercedes River
Mercedes River Bridge
West Lake Drive — southern crossing, south of Mercedes Drive
- Bridge No.
- 865774
- City Project
- P12858
- FDOT Project
- 450867-1-52-01
What the City proposes
The City’s official project description states that the current project includes replacing the three bridges with one travel lane in each direction, reconstructing roadway approaches, upgrading signage and pavement markings, and milling and resurfacing.
The City’s current estimate is a construction cost of approximately $13.8 million, with the design approximately 60% complete as reported in 2026, and construction scheduled from fall 2027 through summer 2030.
Why the City says replacement is needed
The City’s FY2026 capital documents, drawing on FDOT-based inspection classifications, describe:
- Lucille River Bridge: “structurally deficient,” with inspection frequency increased to every three months.
- Mercedes River Bridge: “structurally deficient,” with inspection frequency increased to every six months.
- Estelle River Bridge: “functionally obsolete,” with inspection frequency increased to every three months.
These classifications are the City’s and FDOT’s stated project justification — not an independent Harbor Beach Association engineering conclusion.
Residents are not asking to substitute their judgment for engineers’. They are asking for an independent evaluation of whether rehabilitation or reinforcement could safely extend the useful lives of the structures before complete replacement becomes irreversible.
Project history
June 2023
Design work announced
The City announced design work for the three Harbor Beach bridges.
October 2023
Field work completed
The City reported that surveying, geotechnical analysis and waterway inspection work was completed.
April 11, 2024
First public meeting
The City held its public meeting for the West Lake Drive bridges. At that time, the City listed the estimated construction cost at approximately $9.2 million, with construction beginning in fall 2028.
March 12, 2026
Second public meeting
The City held a new public meeting and reported the design as approximately 60% ready, the construction estimate as $13.8 million, and anticipated construction from fall 2027 to summer 2030.
April – Fall 2026
Separate repair project underway
In a separate project, the City's contractor, Engineer Control Systems, began temporary-support and structural-concrete repairs to the West Lake Drive bridge between E. Lake Drive and Mercedes Drive, with work expected through fall 2026.
The City’s published figures moved from an estimated $9.2 million and a fall-2028 construction start (2024) to $13.8 million and a fall-2027 start (2026). Both figures are the City’s own; the earlier one is historical context, not the current budget. Source documents are collected on the Documents page.