[EXPIRED] UPDATE: Boca Grande Swing Bridge on Deviated Schedule, GICW Statute Mile 34.5
The Boca Grande Swing Bridge (Gasparilla Island Swing Bridge) with a closed vertical clearance of 9ft crosses the GICW at statute mile 34.5 in the northern Gasparilla Sound. And received on 6/16, see the onsite report from Captain Curry below and this confirmation from Officer Lieberum:
Yes it is currently closed until Friday [6/19].
Check the LNM I sent to be published tomorrow also has this information and the Coast Guard issued a BNM.
Michael Lieberum
Seventh Coast Guard District
Bridge Branch
Bridge Management Specialist
*****
Good Morning (6/9),
The information below will be placed in the next Local Notice to Mariners: [Week 23/15]
FLORIDA ‘“ GULF INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY ‘“ CHARLOTTE HARBOR ‘“ TAMPA BAY ‘“ GASPARILLA SWING BRIDGE: Temporary Deviation/Discrepancy.
Due to the mechanical failure of the Gasparilla Island Swingbridge across the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Gasparilla, Florida, this bridge has been placed on an hourly schedule and will only open on the top of the hour at all times except that from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. the bridge will be allowed to open every two hours. Therefore, this bridge will open hourly except that openings will only be allowed at 2:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Starting at 9:00 p.m. the bridge will be opening at the top of the hour only.
The bridge owner has advised the Coast Guard that they will need to continue this schedule until the end of August 2015; whereas the new bridge will be opened to vehicle traffic and the old bridge will be left in the open to navigation position. Chart: 11425 Week 23/15
Sincerely,
Michael Lieberum
Seventh Coast Guard District
Bridge Branch
Bridge Management Specialist
305-415-6744
Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Boca Grande Swing Bridge
Comments from Cruisers (4)
The fixed bridge on the “alternate route” has a charted vertical clearance of 26 feet (it’s a “Bridge B” note in the interior of the chart, so it’s hard to find in the online charts). WIth that said, exercise caution since there are no tide boards, as Capt. Mike Smith noted.
Larry,
I read LNM before heading northbound from Captiva Is. When within 1 nm from the bridge I spoke to bridge via vhf and was told by the attendant in the toll booth(no bridge tender there) that the bridge is closed to boat traffic until Friday due to construction. All boats, including us turned around and went out Boca Grande Pass for our northbound passage. Not that big of deal for northbound boats, but southbounders don’t have any good options once they learn it’s closed, ie Stump Pass is local knowledge only.
This in essence, closes the busy west coast icw.
When approaching bridge today, bridge attendant told us bridge closed to boat traffic until Friday.
Miles Curry
An alternate path exists around this bridge for power vessels: if northbound, come through the old section of causeway (approx. 100 yds south of swing bridge) and look for channel markers immediately to your left (west). Follow this well marked channel until the new fixed bridge of the causeway is to your starboard. A quick 90 deg right turn, pass under the bridge, and then another immediate right turn and follow a green set of markers (keep them to your left, with the causeway just alongside your starboard) to bring you back east to the ICW, and you will be just to the north of the swing bridge. for southbound, just reverse this process.
We passed this way Sunday 6/07 and saw nothing less than 8ft or so, usually deeper. Water is clear, and the channel stands out nicely for visual navigation. The new span of the causeway that you must pass under appears to be about 25 to 30 ft clearance, but there are NO CLEARANCE GAUGES. It’s up to the individual skipper to gauge vessel clearance. Our boat had approx. 14ft to cabin top, with another 6ft antenna, and clearance looked like another 10ft above that. If you’re stuck waiting for the bridge to open, this could provide you with a nice time-saver.
Perhaps another source could provide clearance data for this span?