Florida United States | |
26° 15' 42.12'', -80° 4' 58.09'' | |
Pompano Beach |
Closed vertical clearance | 13 |
The Hillsboro Inlet bascule Bridge has a 13-foot closed vertical clearance with a 60-foot center span horizontal opening, but overhead power cables limit the open vertical clearance to 64 feet. This bridge opens on a restricted schedule. From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. the bridge opens on the hour, and at 15, 30 and 45 minutes past the hour. The bridge opens on demand at all other times.
Hillsboro Inlet has some very swift currents, and while shoals tend to move around quite rapidly, frequent dredging maintains good depths in the main channel. If in doubt, obtain local knowledge and proceed as advised. Boating traffic in the inlet can be quite hectic for the uninitiated; use caution during heavy traffic periods.
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 available online from the U.S. Coast Guard.