Two rail projects in downtown Stuart are often discussed together. One is a Brightline passenger station at 500 SE Flagler Ave., across from the Martin County Courthouse. The other is a replacement for the Florida East Coast Railway bridge over the St. Lucie River. In August 2026 the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the City of Stuart $78.9 million toward the bridge. In the same month, the federal passenger rail program gave Martin County nothing for the station.
For a buyer comparing Stuart waterfront homes, that changes the question. The rail project with real money behind it is the bridge.
The Hourly Rule at Mile 7.41
The railroad bridge crosses the Okeechobee Waterway at mile 7.41 in Stuart. When it is down, it sits about 6.5 feet above mean high water. The Coast Guard changed its operating schedule in a final rule effective November 17, 2025. The Federal Register notice says the change was needed "due to a significant increase in railway activity." Here is how the schedule works:
- 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.: the bridge opens for 10 minutes at the top of each hour.
- Daytime closure limits: the bridge may stay down no more than 50 consecutive minutes in any hour and no more than seven hours in total across the daytime period.
- Train on the circuit: if a train is on the track circuit at a scheduled opening, the opening can be delayed up to five minutes. After that, the bridge must open as soon as the train clears.
- 8:01 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.: the bridge stays open to boats except for train movements, inspections and authorized maintenance. No overnight closure may run longer than 60 consecutive minutes.
- Contact: the bridge tender monitors VHF channels 9 and 16 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Operating information is available around the clock at 305-889-5576.
A captain who reaches the bridge a few minutes after the hourly opening can wait most of an hour for the next one. Dan Romence of Indiantown Marine Center described the clearance from his own boat in a 2024 CBS12 report: "I have a 22-foot boat without a top on it. So, my boat can get under the bridge, but I have to duck."
In February 2026, Romence, speaking as president of the Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast, told WFLX that the bridge's condition matters to everyone on the river: "If the bridge isn't safe, then they have to shut the bridge, which would completely seal off marine access for everybody."
What the Replacement Changes on the Water
The planned replacement is a double-track bridge for both Brightline and FEC freight trains. These figures come from Brightline's August 18, 2026 announcement:
| Current bridge | Planned replacement | |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical clearance when down, at mean high water | 6.5 feet | about 17.75 feet |
| Horizontal clearance | 50 feet | about 90 feet |
| Tracks | single | double |
| Share of vessels that can pass while it is down | not stated | more than 90 percent |
Brightline estimates that more than 90 percent of vessels can pass under the planned replacement while it is down. Michael Kennedy, Martin County's commissioner on the Florida Inland Navigation District, said in the announcement that the larger clearances "will substantially reduce impacts on recreational boaters, commercial marine traffic, downtown motorists, marine industries and cruising vessels." Congressman Brian Mast, quoted in the same release, called the current bridge "a daily headache for boaters and a safety risk for everyone who shares that corridor."
The project is estimated at $262 million. The new $78.9 million award adds to a $130 million USDOT grant from 2023. Together the two grants cover $208.9 million, or roughly four-fifths of the estimated cost.
The Station Date That Kept Moving
The station has been announced, delayed and reapplied for, but it has never been funded:
- March 4, 2024: Brightline announced a downtown Stuart station "expected to open in the second half of 2026."
- October 2024: the Stuart City Commission voted 3 to 2 not to proceed with the station. Martin County went ahead and applied for federal grants.
- September 2025: after an earlier federal request was not awarded, CBS12 reported that officials projected an earliest opening in 2028.
- February 2026: Martin County's federal application asked for $69.28 million toward an $87.15 million project. The county's share was $17.87 million: $15 million in bonds and $2.87 million in land value. The application listed no state contribution and $0 in private cash. Its schedule put construction from October 2027 through June 2029.
- August 2026: NewsRadio WFLA reported that the federal program awarded the county no money for the station.
The county has not dropped the plan. In late August, county officials told CBS12, "We still have an agreement with Brightline. We still have a proposed location, and we're still pursuing funding opportunities." The same report said the county expected another federal grant cycle this fall. Officials acknowledged that without federal support the proposal could face more delays or be shelved. Downtown businesses still back the idea. Michelle Davis, who has owned Island Cotton Company for 17 years, told CBS12 that visitors "hopping off the trains to come and check out our downtown, that would be great for business."
The Station Also Depends on the Bridge
The bridge is also central to the railroad's objection to the station. In an April 27, 2026 letter reported by WPBF, FEC attorney Robert B. Ledoux wrote, "FEC cannot support any station that would result in the existing Stuart bridge being down in violation of USGC rules." According to Ledoux, FEC's system would require the bridge to stay down while a train is stopped at the proposed station. A Brightline spokesperson responded that the company had "determined they lack merit" and that the station "will remain fully compliant with Coast Guard regulations."
So the dispute over the station turns on the same hourly opening schedule described above. Parking is a second issue. Before he left the mayor's office, then-Mayor Christopher Collins wrote that construction would remove 165 of the courthouse's 334 parking spaces, leaving it below the city's 218-space minimum. County leaders hope the new double-track bridge could eventually strengthen the case for a station by improving rail operations.
What the County Median Doesn't Show
The latest Martin County figures cover September 2026, released by MIAMI REALTORS on October 16, 2026. The single-family median sale price was $600,000, up 5.3 percent from September 2025. There were 168 closed sales, a median of 39 days to contract, and 3.6 months of supply. Townhomes and condos had a $237,500 median, 68 days to contract, and 5.1 months of supply that month.
Those figures show a market moving faster than a year earlier, with single-family time to contract down 37.1 percent year over year. They don't separate waterfront homes from inland homes. They also don't capture the detail that matters most to a boat owner: whether the trip from the dock to the inlet passes under a 6.5-foot span that opens on a fixed hourly schedule. Two homes with similar square footage and similar dock length can offer very different boating days depending on that route.
Questions to Settle on a Waterfront Showing
- Does the route cross mile 7.41? Trace the trip from the dock to open water and see whether it passes under the FEC railroad bridge in downtown Stuart.
- When do you usually head out? The Coast Guard's operating schedule has different daytime and overnight provisions.
- Is downtown rail access part of the plan? Brightline riders on the Treasure Coast still drive about 45 minutes to West Palm Beach to board, according to CBS12's August reporting. For a buyer who wants to take the train to Miami or Orlando, that is the trip to count on today.
FAQ
Is the Stuart Brightline station under construction? No. Martin County's project page says funding and planning steps must happen before lease agreements and construction begin. The county's 2026 application had construction starting in October 2027, and that application received no federal award in August. You can follow updates on Martin County's Brightline page.
How much of the railroad bridge replacement is funded? The two USDOT grants, $130 million from 2023 and $78.9 million from 2026, total $208.9 million toward an estimated $262 million cost.
Who can I call about bridge openings? The Coast Guard rule lists 305-889-5576 for 24-hour operating information. The tender monitors VHF channels 9 and 16 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
This post summarizes the published bridge rule and grant records as general information, not legal or financial advice. Confirm the details of your own vessel and property with the Coast Guard, a marine professional, or your attorney.
If you're comparing Stuart waterfront homes and the bridge schedule is part of the decision, Jill McCarthy Thogersen can go through each property's route to the inlet with you. Schedule a Market Consultation, or Request a Free Home Valuation to see how your own dock and its river route compare to recent sales.
