Say No To Low Bridges on the Coral Gables Waterway

Subject: Final Update on the Underline Bridge Advocacy Effort

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This will be my final update, as the petition drive and our advocacy efforts have now come to a close.

While we can claim some meaningful victories, the overall outcome is, unfortunately, only a partial success. Miami-Dade County and The Underline have begun manufacturing and construction of the bridge, and at this stage, the only remaining path to delay or alter the project would require legal action—an option I am not pursuing due to its low probability of success.

I had hoped we could reach a more favorable resolution. However, the process was hindered by a lack of transparency and meaningful engagement from both The Underline and our Miami-Dade representatives. Within the City of Coral Gables, some officials were genuinely committed to supporting waterway residents and users, while others appeared less engaged and/or unwilling to ask the required questions from Underline and County representatives. As a result, I believe the City of Coral Gables as a whole, fell short of fully representing our community's interests. With more time and broader collaboration, we might have achieved more. A big shoutout and thank you to the Coral Gables Waterway Advisory Board who advocated for our cause and helped to secure the victories. We could not have pushed back without their support.

That said, your efforts and voices made a real impact. Together, we secured the following important concessions:

1. Elimination of the fishing pier, which would have posed a serious hazard to boaters, paddleboarders, and other waterway users.
2. Increased bridge height to 11.8 feet at mean high tide—not the full 14 feet we advocated for, but higher than the current US-1 and Ponce bridges and higher than the original height proposed by the Underline and County.
3. Ongoing negotiations for a legal commitment from Miami-Dade and The Underline to raise the bridge in the future if either the US-1 or Ponce bridges are elevated above the new structure.
4. Requesting the City of Coral Gables to actively monitor and verify that the construction height, when built, matches the planned height and to hold the Underline and Miami Dade accountable.

Thank you for your continued support, engagement, and advocacy throughout this process. I remain deeply grateful to all of you who lent your voices and energy to this cause.

Warm regards,
Manny Portuondo