Draw Bridges in Palm Beach County
There are numerous draw bridges in the Palm Beach area in addition to the notable high arch of the Blue Heron Bridge just North of the Lake Worth Inlet and Peanut Island. We list all bridges you’ll encounter South and North of Lake Worth Inlet.
Draw Bridges South of Palm Beach Inlet
From the Palm Beach Inlet going south, you will encounter several drawbridges of various designs and heights. Those include the following:
Flagler Memorial Bridge: This is a Double Bascule Bridge with a low steel clearance of 25ft
Southern Blvd Bridge: Also a Double Bascule Bridge with a closed clearance of 14ft. This bridge is also adjacent to the home occupied by former President Donald Trump, seen from the ICW.
Lake Avenue Bridge: This is a Single Bascule Bridge with a closed clearance of 35 feet
Lantana Bridge: This Double Bascule Bridge in Lantana has a high tide clearance of 20 feet when closed.
Ocean Avenue Bridge: This Double Bascule Bridge is flat, meaning there is no arch with a higher clearance in the center like those listed above. When closed, this bridge has a 21ft clearance off the water at low tide and is located in Boynton Beach.
George Bush Blvd Bridge: Located in Delray, this Double Bascule Bridge has the lowest clearance of only 9 feet at high water. Even for smaller boats, attention to outriggers, antennas and lighting needs to be paid careful attention.
Atlantic Ave Bridge: In Delray and a Double Bascule Bridge, this also has a relatively low clearance of only 12 feet at high water.
Linton Blvd Bridge: This Double Bascule bridge has a closed clearance above the water of 30 feet plus an additional 4 feet at the center at high water.
Spanish River Bridge: A Double Bascule Bridge with a 25ft clearance at high water
Palmetto Park Bridge: This Double Bascule Bridge has a fairly low clearance for larger vessels of 15ft but does have an additional 4ft at the very center and is the southernmost bridge before the Bocca Inlet.
Camino Real Bridge: This Double Bascule Bridge is immediately south of the Bocca Inlet with only a 9ft clearance at the center at high water.
Hillsboro Blvd Bridge: This is the last Double Bascule Bridge in the Sandhill Charters Tour area, being the furthest south in Pompano with a 16ft clearance at high water and 4ft additional clearance at dead center.
Draw Bridges North of Palm Beach Inlet
Going north from Lake Worth Inlet, we will encounter many more bridges on the ride up toward Stuart or the Saint Lucie Inlet, the furthest north of Sandhill Charters’ travel area.
Parker Bridge: This Double Bascule Bridge sees a lot of traffic with mega yachts and large sport fish boats waiting to pass. With a clearance of 25 feet, it is advised to watch out for a crowd waiting to get through on both the North and South sides.
PGA Blvd Bridge: Another Double Bascule Bridge that sees a lot of traffic due to its close proximity to Parker Bridge. This bridge has a closed clearance of 24ft. Be prepared to hold your place and keep the channel clear.
Donald Ross Bridge: This Double Bascule Bridge with a clearance of 35ft doesn’t bog down the traffic flow too much due to its height. It’s also a time marker as you must do 6.5kts northbound to make the next bridge opening without waiting for a future opening.
Indiantown Road Bridge: This is a Single Bascule Bridge with a clearance of 35ft. If you cleared the Donald Ross Bridge prior, you will also clear this bridge.
Jupiter Federal Bridge: This Double Bascule Bridge has a 26ft closed clearance. Due to the many bridges nearby, use the exact name when hailing for an opening.
707 Bridge: This Double Bascule Bridge has a 25ft clearance at the center and is the first bridge going north on the ICW from the Jupiter Inlet.
Hobe Sound Bridge: This Double Bascule Bridge has a clearance of 19ft at high water with an additional 4ft at the center and is an Open On Demand bridge located about halfway between and is the only remaining bridge between Jupiter Inlet and St Lucie Inlet.
