St. Lucie county — opponents of the proposed Walton road bridge called for the county Expressway and Bridge Authority on Wednesday to suspend all operations until investigations into alleged environmental violations involving Figg Engineering are completed.

Figg engineering, the authority’s lead consultant is targeted in state and federal investigations because of its role as supervisor of the Garcon Point Bridge construction project in panhandle.

Its time we take some kind of action to stop expenditures of funds on (the Walton Road Bridge) project,’ said Roger Sharp, leader of an Indian River Drive homeowners group. "This is simply asking the authority to stop action until we find out if these people are legitimate and if that have done the environmental damage."

State and federal authorities are investigating whether contractors dumped tons of concrete and debris into Pensacola Bay while building the Garcon Point Bridge, which happened in May, according to Pensacola news reports. Court records show a federal grand jury has subpoenaed records from the Santa Rosa Bay Bridge Authority and Figg Engineering.

Sharp and other Walton road bridge opponents asked the county Property and Home Owners association to request the $5o million project be put on hold until those criminal investigations conclude.

But Herb Beach of the White City Improvement Club and Fred Cook of the Port St. Lucie Homeowners Association agreed to put off a vote at least until their Feb. 16 meeting. The next county expressway and bridge authority meeting is scheduled for Feb. 17.

Linda McCallister, who has supervised the proposed Walton Road Bridge for Figg Engineering could not be reached for comment.

Ed Hayslip, chairman of the Expressway and Bridge Authority, said there is no reason for the authority to suspend its operations because the proposed bridge has nothing to do with the situation involving the Garcon Bay Bridge.

"Certainly they would like for that to happen because they oppose the bridge." Hayslip said. "I don't think they've got a basis. Their motives are obvious in that they oppose the bridge. This is just something else they're using."

Another authority member, port St. Lucie city councilman Ron Bowen, said bridge opponents would not be able to discredit Figg engineering, one of the most prominent bridge developers in the state, or link the proposed Walton Road Bridge to problems with the Garcon Bay Bridge.

"It's just another feeble, desperate attempt to try to stop the bridge," Bowen said, "They’re pulling out all the stops it’s ridiculous"

The authority, made up of local elected and anointed officials plans to build a 14,000-foot-long bridge across the Indian River Lagoon and finance it with state funds and revenues from a $1 toll. The bridge would provide Port St. Lucie residents with easier access to Hutchinson Island beaches and reduce traffic on the nearby Jensen Beach Causeway.

The cancellation of the Authority's past three monthly meetings might be related to Figg Engineering's legal problems stemming from the Garcon Point Bridge, said Ed McKay, a condo association leader on Hutchinson Island.

"They are the ones calling the shots on this whole project," McKay said. "No action can be taken against them because there is no meeting. They're looking to dodge the bullet."

"It's the first time in the short life span of the Walton Road Bridge Authority that the meetings...

...meeting was cancelled because an engineering meeting had been postponed, the Dec. 16 meeting was cancelled because of the holidays, and the Jan. 21 meeting was canceled because it conflicted with the Port St. Lucie City Council's retreat.