The Belleair Causeway Bascule Bridge, located at GIWW Mile Marker 131.8. carries West Bay Drive traffic across the GIWW from Largo to Shell point on the west side of the Waterway.

Use NOAA Chart 1411.

The bridge has a 21-foot closed vertical clearance with 80 feet of horizontal clearance in the center span. Of particular interest is the note on the current chart for the area just north of the bridge that says “shoals to bare.” Keep and eye on the depth sounder and seek local knowledge form the bridgetender if necessary.

Aside form the marked areas, shoaling seems chronic in this area and a slow-speed eye on the depth sounder approach is recommended.

The bridge has a restricted weekend and Federal holiday opening schedule. From noon to 6 p.m., the bridge opens on the hour and every 15 minutes thereafter. The bridge opens on demand at all other times.

Depending on schedule, the bridge can be opened by horn signal (one long, one short) or by hailing the bridge tender on VHF Channel 09. (All bridges in the state of Florida must be hailed on VHF Channel 09.)

Local Notices to Mariners are now exclusively available online from the U.S. Coast Guard.