The Sunrise Bridge Is Down to One Side. Here's How to Time Your Trips East This Fall.

Since 8 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3, the Sunrise Boulevard bridge over the Intracoastal has run on its north span only. Both directions now share it, with two lanes each way, and that setup stays in place through early 2027. For Coral Ridge, that bridge is the direct road to Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Bonnet House and the beach at the end of Sunrise. Daytime crossings stayed mostly predictable after the shift. Thursday through Sunday nights did not, and that is when this fall's best evening plans on the beach side fall.

What the bridge looks like right now

The south span, which used to carry eastbound traffic, is closed. Eastbound and westbound cars both use the north bridge. Westbound drivers can't turn left onto southbound NE 26th Avenue while this configuration is in place. If coming home from the beach meant that left turn, plan another route until early 2027.

The full job is bigger than one bridge. FDOT's project covers about 0.8 miles of Sunrise, from west of Middle River Drive to east of North Birch Road. GLF Construction Co. holds the contract, and the estimated cost is $43.2 million. The bridge gets a new solid aluminum deck, newly painted structural steel, new mechanical and electrical parts, new marine fenders and a renovated bridge tender house. Along the road, the corridor gets fresh paving and LED streetlights. The Sun Sentinel reported that bike lanes will widen from 4 to 6 feet on both sides. Three travel lanes per direction remain once the work is done, and a new pedestrian crossing is planned near the Galleria.

If you cross on foot or by bike, the Sun Sentinel's May report said pedestrians would use the side of the bridge opposite the active work. The September traffic-shift notices don't name a specific sidewalk, so follow the posted signs at the bridge.

The window that matters is Thursday through Sunday night

Two lanes each way handles a weekday morning trip to Birch park without much drama. The bigger variable is a separate allowance. FDOT can close lanes on Sunrise "as needed" from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m., Thursday through Sunday. "As needed" means not every night, but any of those nights could tighten a bridge that is already down to half its usual lanes.

So the hour you cross matters more than the day you go. Look at the fall calendar east of the bridge with that window in mind.

Bonnet House's daytime calendar sits almost entirely outside the closure hours. The Halloween Fest on Oct. 31 runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with admission at $25 for adults, $8 for ages 6 to 17, and free for children 5 and under. Fall Family Day on Nov. 14 offers half-price adult admission and free entry for ages 13 and under. On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, veterans get in free when one full-price $30 self-guided ticket is purchased.

The December concerts are where the timing gets tight. Holiday Magic Concerts on the Veranda is listed for 6 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 3, which is a Thursday. A 6 p.m. arrival puts you on the bridge before the 7 p.m. window opens. The drive home after 9 p.m. falls inside it. The Dec. 10 concert is also on a Thursday. If you'd rather skip the evening trip altogether, Bonnet House lists holiday trees, wreaths and centerpieces for sale through Dec. 27.

For ordinary visits, Bonnet House is at 900 N. Birch Road. Self-guided tours run Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adult admission is $30, or $25 for Broward residents with ID. The house is closed Mondays and during the Fort Lauderdale Air Show.

Boat show week puts both kinds of traffic on the corridor

The 2026 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show runs Oct. 28 through Nov. 1, entirely within the one-span setup. The show's official transportation map lists a water taxi stop at the GALLERYone DoubleTree Hotel, 2670 E. Sunrise Blvd., and another at the Bahia Mar show entrance. Show transit runs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 28, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Oct. 29 through 31, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 1. The map doesn't include a Sunrise bridge detour or warning, so you have to piece the two schedules together yourself.

Show week also overlaps the Halloween Fest on Saturday, Oct. 31. That afternoon, show traffic and Bonnet House traffic will both be looking for the same narrowed bridge.

Boaters have their own piece of this project. During fender reconstruction, half the channel under the bridge will close, and the drawbridge schedule may change. The only announced change so far was a 48-hour stop on openings, from 8 a.m. Sept. 1 to 8 a.m. Sept. 3, and that has ended. Under the federal rule, the East Sunrise Bridge opens on the hour and half-hour. FDOT says any temporary schedule change is coordinated with the Coast Guard and published in the Local Notice to Mariners. For a refresher on clearances along this stretch, the Fort Lauderdale bridge clearance map and our guide to Fort Lauderdale bridge heights cover the details.

The water taxi already stops at both ends of the work

The Water Taxi's F8 stop serves GalleryOne DoubleTree and the Galleria Mall at 2670 E. Sunrise Blvd. F9 is at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, 3109 E. Sunrise Blvd. Boats run 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and arrive every 30 to 45 minutes in Fort Lauderdale. The operator notes that weather and marine traffic can cause delays. An adult all-routes pass is $38. The evening pass, good after 5 p.m., is $25. Boats run until 10 p.m., so a pass covers the evening hours when the overnight lane closures can apply.

What's open, and what isn't, once you cross

Hugh Taylor Birch State Park opens daily from 8 a.m. to sunset, and entry is $6 per vehicle. The floating dock has been closed since May 11, 2026. The large pavilions and the Banyan and North End restrooms have been closed for construction since Sept. 22, 2025, with no reopening date posted. Rangers lead a guided walk at 10:30 a.m. and a live-animal presentation at 1 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. From the park, you reach the sand by the A1A crosswalk.

Canine Beach, about 1269 North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard just north of Sunrise, switches to its November-through-March schedule next month. Hours go from 3 to 9 p.m. down to 3 to 7 p.m., Friday through Sunday, and a permit is required. That 7 p.m. close matches the start of FDOT's overnight lane-closure window, so a November dog-beach afternoon wraps up before the window opens. A one-weekend permit is $7 per dog.

Along Sunrise, the Galleria at Fort Lauderdale, 2414 East Sunrise Boulevard, is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, with restaurants such as Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, P.F. Chang's and Blue Martini open later. The directory lists Artesano Bakehouse as now open on Level 2 near Pandora. The Poppy Project Pop-Up Living Garden, a public art installation honoring veterans and supporting Henderson Behavioral Health, runs at the mall through Nov. 10. Florida's first Wayfair store is planned there for late 2027. Just up Sunrise, Bar Betty is a speakeasy above Sunness Supper Club at 2465 E. Sunrise Blvd., entered through a red door after 7 p.m.

When the bridge gets both sides back

The one-span setup is scheduled to last through early 2027. The project as a whole has two published finish dates: FDOT's project page says late 2027, and its traffic-shift flyer says early 2028. The Sun Sentinel reported that the eastbound and westbound sides each get lane closures during their own deck replacement, with traffic shifted to the opposite side. If you need another way across in the meantime, the federal bridge rules list the East Oakland Park Boulevard Bridge to the north and the East Las Olas Bridge to the south as the neighboring drawbridges on the waterway.

If you're weighing how projects like this one shape daily life in Coral Ridge, whether that means dock access, boat routes or the drive to the beach, Jesse Iacobone follows these changes closely and is glad to talk through them. Let's Connect.