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Part Of Drawbridge Crashes Down On Mega Yacht

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- There was no party for a mega yacht called "RockStar" after a drawbridge unexpectedly came down on the passing vessel.

Chopper 4 was over the scene as the ship was being towed from Fort Lauderdale to Miami.

CLICK HERE To Watch Oralia Ortega's report. 

The yacht, which costs a little more than quarter of a million dollars to charter for a week was waiting for a visit from the Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before it could continue on.

The Broad Causeway that connects North Miami with Bay Harbor Islands and Bal Harbour is undergoing tests to make sure the locking mechanism works.

Assistant City Mananger J.C. Jimenez said the vessel was under tow when the tow company requested the bridge tender to raise both sides so it could pass.

Bridge Falls On Yacht
(Source: CBS4)

As the ship passed through, the East side of the drawbridge suddenly started to slip and crashed down on the yacht, taking out part of the roof causing tens of thousands of dollars in damages.

Fifteen people were reported to be aboard the yacht with no injuries.

The Broad Causeway, which is about 60 years old, is about to undergo a $13-million dollar rehab project which includes replacing parts of the drawbridge mechanism because of past electrical problems.

The city has engineers are evaluating the causeway bridge and what to do next.

On Tuesday evening, vessels were able to go under the bridge.  Vehicle traffic across the bridge was restricted until the early evening hours.

The Broad Causeway connects North Miami with Bay Harbor Islands and Bal Harbour so traffic was a mess during rush hour as officials worked to close traffic off on Northeast 123rd Street and N. Bayshore Drive on one side and on the other side on 96th street and Collins Avenue.

Crews did some test runs of the drawbridge before letting traffic through and so far no problems.

The FWC is investigating the cause of the incident.

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