Also see our list of bridges on the New River, Fort Lauderdale.

From Port Everglades to I-95
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
This information is to be used as a guide. Prudent captains will always refer to other sources such as US Government charts and books.
NOTE: BRIDGES WILL NOT OPEN from 7:30-9:00 AM and from 4:30 to 6:00 PM, M-F during rush hour traffic
Use VHF Channel 9 to communicate with bridges
Always monitor Channel 9 for traffic reports from vessels headed up or down the river.
Beware! There is a 2 knot tidal current in the New River changing direction every 6 hours.
Very Important! It is best to go up the river with the tide coming out.
1. Arrive at the sea entrance at Ft. Lauderdale, Port Everglades Cut. Proceed North on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) to the 17th Street Causeway Bridge (opens on the half hour and hour between 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM, otherwise opens on demand).
2. Proceed North up the ICW. Stay to the left of Green Marker 21. There is a very shallow triangular piece of water. Keep the seawall and Red Marker 20 as your channel.
3. Merge with the New River. Turn left and proceed up the river. Stay in the channel with Green markers on your Port and Red Markers on your Starboard.



4. Continue through a wide area that runs up to a tight turn to Port and another to Starboard. Be aware of traffic. Very large yachts will take up this area. It is recommended to hold at the first turn and wait for large yacht’s to clear.
5. Approach the first bridge on the New River, Third Ave. Bridge.



6. Continue up the New River to the second bridge, Andrews Ave. Bridge. NOTE: Andrews Ave. Bridge opens with one span from the north side. If you are a sailboat then you must stay on the north side depending on size of mast height.
7. Continue to the third bridge, a Railroad Bridge, which has no specific closing time. It is always open unless a train is coming. Then it may be down/ closed for an hour. If the Railroad Bridge is down/ closed, it is best to tie up on the side of the canal and wait.



8. Continue to the fourth bridge, Seventh Ave. Bridge.
9. Continue until the New River splits/forks; to the right is the North Fork and to the left is the South Fork. If you are headed to the boatyards, take the South Fork. The South Fork takes a hard turn to port, goes around Little Florida, and turns 180 degrees. The river will narrow. Be sure that no other large vessels are in this narrow section before heading further up the river. Check Channel 9 always.
10. Past the next bridge, Davie Blvd Bridge, the river will open up a little. Davie Blvd is the last bridge before I-95, a fixed bridge with 55’ vertical clearance. Boatyards such as Riverbend Marina and Lauderdale Marine Center are before the I-95 fixed bridge.
Timelapse Return Trip
good local knowledge, thanks cap