I maintain a spreadsheet recording Onward’s passage through the fixed bridges on the ICW. Here are the data from my first passage. I’ve made 3 more which have been consistent with this. I make it a practice to go the bridges in flat water at idle forward to make it easy on the VHF - and my psyche.
In the spring of 2009 there were several new fixed bridges under construction that should cross the waterway by fall 2009. All of these are being built to better standards of clearance and should not pose the problems of the infamous bridges in the N.
ICW Bridges | Southbound | ||||||||
No | Mi Btwn | St. Mi. | Name | Pub. Hgth | HB-N | HB-S | Fender Boards | Tide Ft + MLW | Clearance |
1 | 7.1 | Interstate 64 | 65 | - | - | - | - | 1 | |
2 | 21.6 | 28.7 | Pongo Ferry | 65 | - | - | - | - | 3 |
3 | 21.4 | 50.1 | Coinjock | 65 | 64.5 | - | - | - | 5 |
4 | 63.8 | 113.9 | Fairfield | 65 | - | - | - | - | 5 |
5 | 12.0 | 125.9 | Wilkerson | 64 | - | - | - | - | 4 |
6 | 31.2 | 157.1 | Hobucken | 65 | - | - | - | - | 3 |
7 | 38.8 | 195.9 | Core Creek | 65 | 65.5 | - | - | - | 1 |
8 | 7.9 | 203.8 | Morehead City | 65 | 65.3 | - | - | - | 2 |
9 | 2.9 | 206.7 | Atlantic Beach | 65 | 65.3 | - | - | - | 2 |
10 | 19.2 | 225.9 | Emerald Isle | 65 | 65.3 | 65.0 | - | - | 3 |
11 | 26.4 | 252.3 | North Topsail Beach | 65 | 65.5 | 65.0 | - | - | 3 |
12 | 43.4 | 295.7 | Carolina Beach | 65 | NA | 66.3 | - | 0.9 | 1 |
13 | 16.1 | 311.8 | Yaupon Beach | 65 | 65.5 | - | - | - | 2 |
14 | 11.7 | 323.5 | Holden Beach | 65 | 66.3 | 66.3 | - | 4.4 | 3 |
15 | 10.2 | 333.7 | Ocean Isle | 65 | 69.0 | 69.0 | - | 3.4 | 1 |
16 | 94.8 | 347.1 | Nixon Crossroads | 65 | - | - | - | - | - |
17 | 8.5 | 355.6 | Conway Bypass | 65 | - | - | 5+ | 2.5 | 1 |
18 | 2.5 | 358.1 | Grande Dunes | 65 | - | - | - | 2.7 | 1 |
19 | 2.5 | 360.6 | Grissom Pkwy | 65 | 65.5 | - | - | 2.6 | 1 |
20 | 4.8 | 365.4 | Hwy 501 | 65 | - | 7 | 2.7 | 1 | |
21 | 5.8 | 371.2 | Rt 544 | 65 | 65.0 | - | 5+ | 2.4 | 2 |
22 | 29.9 | 401.1 | Lafayette | 65 | - | 1.9 | 2 | ||
23 | 61.2 | 462.3 | Isle of Palms | 65 | 68.0 | - | 5+ | 1.0 | 1 |
24 | 7.6 | 469.9 | Mark Clark Expw | 67 | - | 5+ | 5.2 | 1 | |
25 | 9.4 | 479.3 | John F. Limehouse | 65 | 69.0 | - | 3 | 6.0 | 1 |
26 | 22.0 | 501.3 | McKinley Washington | 65 | 66.0 | - | 6+ | 6.1 | 1 |
27 | 38.3 | 539.6 | Beaufort | 65 | NA | - | 6+ | 2.5 | 1 |
28 | 17.9 | 557.5 | J Wilton Graves | 65 | NA | - | 5 | 7.7 | 1 |
29 | 25.0 | 582.5 | Thunderbolt | 65 | - | - | - | - | 2 |
30 | 91.8 | 674.3 | Lanier Island | 65 | 65.0 | - | 4 | 6.5 | 1 |
31 | 10.0 | 684.3 | Jekyll Creek | 65 | - | - | 5 | 1.0 | 1 |
32 | 36.5 | 720.8 | Twin Bridges | 65 | 66.5 | - | 6 | 3.2 | 2 |
33 | 21.8 | 742.6 | Wonderwood | 65 | 65.0 | - | 5 | 3.8 | 2 |
34 | 2.1 | 744.7 | Atlantic Blvd | 65 | 65.0 | - | 4+ | 2.2 | 3 |
35 | 4.6 | 749.3 | Pablo Creek | 65 | 66.5 | - | 4 | 2.2 | 1 |
36 | 9.5 | 758.8 | Palm Valley | 65 | NA | NA | - | 3.9 | 2 |
37 | 17.0 | 775.8 | Usina | 65 | 66.5 | - | 6 | 1.0 | 2 |
38 | 4.6 | 780.4 | Mickler O'Connel | 65 | 68.0 | - | 5 +2' | 1.2 | 1 |
39 | 22.7 | 803.1 | Palm Coast Pkwy | 65 | 67.0 | - | 5 | 0.5 | 2 |
40 | 7.6 | 810.7 | Flagler Beach | 65 | 65.3 | - | NA | 0.3 | 2 |
41 | 14.2 | 824.9 | Ormond Beach | 65 | 66.0 | - | 6 | 0.5 | 2 |
42 | 4.3 | 829.2 | Seabreeze | 65 | 64.8 | - | 5 | 0.7 | 2 |
43 | 1.0 | 830.2 | Carlton Black | 65 | 64.0 | - | 6+ | 0.7 | 2 |
44 | 5.3 | 835.5 | Port Orange | 65 | 64.5 | - | 6 | 1.2 | 1 |
45 | 11.0 | 846.5 | Harris Saxon | 65 | 68.0 | - | 5 | 0.8 | 1 |
46 | 47.5 | 894.0 | City Point | 65 | 65.0 | 65.3 | 5 | 1.5 | 3 |
47 | 3.6 | 897.6 | Cocoa | 65 | 64.5 | - | 5 | 1.3 | 3 |
48 | 11.4 | 909.0 | Palm Shores | 65 | 64.5 | - | 5 | 0.9 | 3 |
49 | 5.4 | 914.4 | Eau Galle | 65 | 64.5 | - | 5 | 1.0 | 3 |
50 | 3.8 | 918.2 | Melbourne Causway | 65 | 65.0 | 65.0 | 5 | NTA | 2 |
51 | 25.0 | 943.2 | Webasso | 65 | 64.5 | 64.5 | 5 | NTA | 3 |
52 | 8.5 | 951.7 | Vero Beach | 65 | 65.5 | - | 4+ | 0.4 | 2 |
53 | 1.5 | 953.2 | 17th St. Causeway | 65 | 65.0 | - | 4+ | 0.4 | 3 |
54 | 12.6 | 965.8 | Ft. Pierce South | 65 | 65.0 | - | 5 | 0.6 | 1 |
55 | 15.6 | 981.4 | Jensen Beach | 65 | 67.5 | - | 4+ | - | 1 |
56 | 3.5 | 984.9 | Ernest Lyons | 65 | 66.0 | - | 4+ | 3.1 | 3 |
57 | 32.3 | 1017.2 | Riviera Beach | 65 | 64.5 | - | 4+ | - | 4 |
58 | 74.5 | 1091.7 | Rickenbacker | 76 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
Legend
General
- = not recorded
NA = no boards
Fender Boards
3+ = Between 3 & 4
4 = Top of 4th
5 = Top of 5th
5+ = 2' below 5th
6 = Top of 6th
7 = Top of 7th / Below 6th
Tide
NTA = non tidal area
Clearance
1 = VHF cleared by > 6"
2 = VHF cleared by 1 - 4 "
3 = VHF tip flicked bridge beams
4 = VHF top 1/4 bent
5 = VHF top ~ 1/2 bent