Important Notice - especially for marine interests...

Coast Guard Bridge Advisory - Flagler Memorial (North) Bridge


Flagler Bridge 
Bridge Construction/Waterway Restriction/Temporary Bridge Regulation Changes.

Palm Beach, FL -    
The Florida Department of Transportation will be engaged with the emergency repairs of the existing Flagler Memorial Bridge across the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway mile 1021.8, Palm Beach, Florida, starting in April 2013.  

In order to complete these repairs, waterway restrictions caused by construction equipment at the bridge may limit horizontal navigational clearance to 35 feet at night and 70 feet during the day.

Night time restrictions will limit horizontal clearance to 35 feet between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. daily for up to three months.  A 70 foot horizontal clearance will be made available with a three hour notice to the ON-SCENE TUG..  

Daytime restrictions will limit horizontal clearance to 70 feet between the hours of 6:01 a.m. and 8:59 p.m. daily for up to three months.  

A temporary waterway restriction limiting horizontal clearance to 70 feet will remain in effect at the existing Flagler Memorial Bridge until the replacement bridge is complete. Mariners are advised that changes to navigational clearance may be necessary as repair conditions develop. 

The temporary regulations for the Flagler Memorial and Royal Park Bridges will remain as follows:  Flagler Memorial Bridge schedule will remain on the quarter hour and three-quarter hour except that from 8:16 a.m. to 9:14 a.m. and from 4:16 p.m. to 5:14 p.m.,  The Royal Park Bridge will remain on the hour and hour-hour schedule except that from 8:01 a.m. to 8:59 a.m. and from 4:31 p.m. to 5:29 p.m. this bridge will be allowed to remain closed to navigation, Monday through Friday until the repairs are completed on the Flagler Memorial Bridge.

Due to the unusual circumstances associated with the bridge structure, the bridge owner has requested an emergency back-up plan in case the repairs are unable to be accomplished as anticipated.  If the Flagler Memorial Bridge malfunctions and is left in the open to navigation position, the Royal Park and Southern Boulevard Bridges will be placed on restricted schedules to accommodate increased vehicular traffic.

If an emergency occurs, the Royal Park Bridge will be on an hourly schedule at the quarter after the hour, except that from 8:16 a.m. to 10:14 a.m. and from 4:16 p.m. to 6:14 p.m. this bridge will be allowed to remain closed to navigation.  The Southern Boulevard Bridge will remain on the twice an hour schedule (top of the hour and bottom of the hour), except that from 8:31 a.m. to 9:59 a.m. and from 4:31 p.m. to 5:59 p.m. this bridge will be allowed to remain closed to navigation.

Additional waterway restrictions will be promulgated once the new Flagler Memorial Bridge construction commences.

      Ref:  LNM 45-12 through 12-13Chart:  11472

Michael Lieberum
Seventh Coast Guard District
Bridge Branch
Chief of Operations Section
305-415-6744