Sunrise Intracoastal Sits Inside the Sunrise Bridge Project, and Each Way Out Has Its Own Schedule

When does the Sunrise Boulevard bridge work end? For a household in Sunrise Intracoastal, it depends on where the trip starts: the driveway, the dock or the sidewalk. Each one runs on a different schedule, and the dates are months apart. The first change comes on Nov. 14, and it applies to boats.

The Florida Department of Transportation's SR 838/Sunrise Boulevard Roadway and Bridge Rehabilitation Project covers 0.8 mile, from west of Middle River Drive to east of North Birch Road. The Sunrise Intracoastal Homeowners Association describes the community as a 186-home peninsula with a gated entrance. The association's history of the original plat puts the homes between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Middle River, just south of the commercial land that became the Galleria. That means the neighborhood's whole stretch of Sunrise Boulevard falls inside the work zone, along with the bridge to the east and the mall across the street.

The boat schedule changes first

Residents with a boat at the dock are dealing with the tightest rules right now. The U.S. Coast Guard's District 7 Local Notice to Mariners dated Oct. 16, 2026 says the East Sunrise Boulevard bridge opens only one leaf at a time, on the hour and half hour, from 7 a.m. on Sept. 28 through 9 p.m. on Nov. 14. A full opening is still available at those same times, but only with two hours' advance notice to the bridge tender.

Overnight is more limited. From Sept. 30 through Nov. 14, the channel is partly blocked between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. and the bridge gives no full openings during those hours. Boats that fit under without an opening can pass through the open side at any time. The work around the bridge runs around the clock. The same notice says the contractor works 24 hours a day, with lighted equipment in the water around the southeast fender and span.

For an evening on the water, a few rules follow from the notice:

1. If your boat needs a full opening, call the bridge tender at least two hours before your planned slot on the hour or half hour.
2. If you need a full opening to get home, plan to pass before 9 p.m. Overnight, only boats that fit through the open side can get by.
3. After Nov. 14, the bridge is set to return to its normal schedule. Federal regulations set that baseline as openings on the hour and half hour.

Nov. 14 is not the end of work in the water. The Coast Guard lists the rehabilitation as running until about September 2027, with the channel partly blocked and the drawbridge allowed to change its schedule. The Sun Sentinel reported in May that half the channel will close while the fender system is rebuilt, and that the opening schedule may change. A new restriction could come after this one ends, and the Coast Guard's weekly notice is where it would appear first. This is general information summarized from those notices, not legal or navigational advice. Check current operations with the bridge tender or the latest notice before heading out.

On the road, two lanes now and the other span still to come

Since 8 a.m. on Sept. 3, the south span of the bridge, which carried eastbound traffic, has been closed. All traffic now uses the north span, with two lanes each way. The City of Fort Lauderdale's Aug. 28 advisory and FDOT's traffic shift notice both list one turn change on the neighborhood's side of the boulevard. Drivers heading west on Sunrise cannot turn left onto southbound NE 26th Avenue while this setup is in place.

The notice says this pattern lasts through early 2027. The rest of the project lasts longer than that. In the Sun Sentinel's May report, FDOT said the eastbound and westbound halves of the bridge would each have lane closures while their decks are replaced, with traffic moved to whichever side isn't under construction. When the south span reopens in early 2027, the north span is next in line.

The same report said FDOT allows lane closures along Sunrise Boulevard as needed from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m., Thursday through Sunday nights. For a dinner on the beach side, the drive back is the leg most likely to hit a lane closure.

The work includes:

• A new solid aluminum bridge deck, plus fresh paint on the structural steel and new wiring and electrical parts
• Bike lanes widened from 4 feet to 6 feet on both sides of the road. The three travel lanes each way stay, with the outside and center lanes narrowed by a foot
• New signal mast arms at two intersections, better pedestrian signals at three locations, and a new pedestrian crossing near the Galleria
• LED streetlights and a resurfaced road from west of Middle River Drive to east of North Birch Road

FDOT has hired GLF Construction Co. for the $43.2 million project. The completion dates don't agree. The FDOT project page says Fall 2027, while FDOT's September traffic notice and the association's May 15 project post both say early 2028. Early 2028 appears in more of these documents, including the most recent one.

Across the street, the stores are open

The new pedestrian crossing near the Galleria is planned for a reason. FDOT's outreach specialist told the Sun Sentinel that the area "experiences a high amount of pedestrian activity throughout the day," with people walking between shops, restaurants, transit stops and nearby neighborhoods. During construction, pedestrians can use the side of the bridge away from the work.

Galleria Fort Lauderdale is open and is expected to stay open. The Sun Sentinel's Sept. 5 report says the mall keeps its anchor stores during planned upgrades, including new facades and entrances, while some tenants move or change. The larger redevelopment is still early. A joint venture bought the 31.5-acre property for $73 million in September 2025. As of Sept. 5, 2026, its proposal for eight 30-story towers with 3,144 homes, a 170-room hotel, and new shops and restaurants was still under city review, with no groundbreaking expected soon.

Its first firm retail commitment lines up with the end of the bridge work. Wayfair has announced a two-level flagship of about 94,000 square feet at the mall, its first store in Florida, scheduled to open in late 2027. That's the same window as FDOT's Fall 2027 estimate for finishing the boulevard.

Farther west at the Gateway, none of the trips involve the bridge. In February, the Gateway's leasing company announced new tenants: the Northern Italian restaurant Barolo, the perfumery De la Fontaine Naturals and a renewed lease for Stretch Zone. Barolo Cucina D'Autore, at 1910 E. Sunrise Blvd., is now taking reservations. The cafe and bookstore that opened as Pulp & Press is now Amelia's All Day; the Sun Sentinel covered the rebrand event on Sept. 5.

Dec. 12, when the bridge stays open for the parade

The next date for the bridge falls on a Saturday evening. The Coast Guard notice says the East Sunrise Boulevard bridge will stay in the up position from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2026, for the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade. The East Las Olas Boulevard bridge to the south will stay up from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. the same night. Drivers can't cross Sunrise Boulevard to the beach while the bridge is up, so a trip across that evening should start before 7 p.m. or wait until after 9 p.m.

By then, the overnight channel restrictions are scheduled to have ended, the south span will still be closed, and the Galleria's tower proposal will still be working through city review. Wayfair and the project's completion are both targeted for late 2027 or after, and the earliest finish date for the bridge is FDOT's Fall 2027 estimate.

At Tim Singer, we follow the Sunrise Boulevard project as closely as the market along it. If the construction schedule affects when you plan to list or buy in Sunrise Intracoastal, we're glad to go over the dates with you.