When did you last wait for the drawbridge on the way home to North Hutchinson Island? For most drivers the answer is sometime before Friday, May 15, 2026. That's the day the new high-level fixed bridge, which FDOT's reports also call the S.R. A1A/E.C. Summerlin Family Bridge, opened to traffic. Five months on, the drive across feels finished.
Everything else about the causeway is still on construction time. FDOT's newest weekly traffic report, released October 16, still lists the bridge's bike lanes, its north-side path and its observation deck as closed. Boats still squeeze past demolition barges. North Causeway Park, the county boat ramp at the island foot of the bridge, is still fenced. Each use of the causeway is coming back on its own date, and the first ones fall in the next few weeks.
What the new span already took off the commute
The old route made islanders wait on two things that no longer exist. The new bridge climbs over the Florida East Coast Railroad, Old Dixie Highway and the Intracoastal Waterway and connects straight to U.S. 1. That removes both the drawbridge openings and the at-grade rail crossing. WPTV's coverage the week it opened led with exactly those two eliminations.
Rising over the tracks changed one habit for good. The bridge no longer connects to Old Dixie Highway. Coming off U.S. 1, drivers reach Old Dixie by Juanita Avenue. Coming from Old Dixie, Juanita Avenue reaches U.S. 1 in both directions, and Sunny Lane reaches northbound U.S. 1 only. FDOT has activated a new traffic signal at Juanita Avenue and U.S. 1.
The parts of the bridge you can see but can't use yet
FDOT designed the bridge for far more than cars. It has one 12-foot travel lane each way, plus room for walkers and riders on both sides and a deck underneath. Here is how that design compares with what was open as of the October 16 report.
| Feature | As designed | Status in FDOT's Oct. 16 report |
|---|---|---|
| Travel lanes | One 12-foot lane each direction | Open since May 15 |
| South sidewalk | 8 feet wide, barrier-protected | Open; all pedestrians detoured here |
| North shared-use path | 12 feet wide, barrier-protected | Closed |
| A1A bike lanes | 7-foot buffered lanes in both shoulders | Closed |
| Observation deck | Beneath the west end of the bridge | Closed |
FDOT's wording on the closed pieces hasn't changed in weeks. It says they "remain closed as construction activities continue," and it gives no reopening date. Until that changes, every pedestrian crossing uses the 8-foot south sidewalk.
The last days of the A1A lane closure
On the island side, the road itself is still being finished. Through Saturday, October 31, A1A has one lane closed in each direction from just east of the new bridge to Little Jim's Bridge. The closure runs 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, with flaggers. That stretch sits between the bridge and the rest of the island, so every trip to the inlet, the state parks or the beach runs through it. If the schedule holds, Halloween is the last day of flagging. After 5 p.m. and on Sundays, the full road is open.
On the water, the old bridge is still in the channel
Boaters are further back in line than drivers. The rule that governed drawbridge openings stopped applying at 6 p.m. on August 8, 2026. The fixed span now sets a permanent vertical clearance of 85 feet at mean high water. For most of the boats tied up along the causeway, height is no longer the problem. Width is.
The old bascule bridge is coming out piece by piece. FDOT scheduled removal of its steel leaves for July 23 and 24. By September 10, TCPalm reported that crews had moved on to the heavy concrete piers in the water. Pulling those piers narrows the channel. Here is what FDOT's schedule sets from September 23 through Monday, December 1:
- 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily: 40 feet of horizontal clearance.
- Full channel passage: available with one hour's notice to the on-scene tug "MANDI" on VHF-FM channel 13.
- Outside work hours: 85 feet of horizontal clearance.
FDOT directs waterway questions to the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami Waterways Division at 305-535-4317, the right call before planning around these windows.
TCPalm reported in July that the old bridge's material will be sunk as an artificial reef about six miles northeast of the Fort Pierce Inlet. St. Lucie Voice, citing county records, put the site closer to four miles out. Either way, the span that held up island traffic for years is headed offshore to become fish habitat.
November's first return: North Causeway Park
The first piece of the causeway likely to come back is the one boaters and paddlers have missed most. St. Lucie County's parks closure page lists North Causeway Park, at 500 N. Causeway on North Hutchinson Island, with an expected reopening in November 2026.
The renovation is a full rebuild of the launch:
- A replaced and expanded boat ramp, made safer and ADA-accessible
- A larger parking area with more trailer spaces and ADA trailer spaces
- Updated restrooms, pavilions and picnic tables
- A dedicated kayak and canoe launch area
- Improved lighting, plus upgraded stormwater and utility systems
The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners awarded Vecellio & Grogan Inc. a $3,190,704 contract for the work in February 2024. A $1.27 million grant from the Florida Inland Navigation District and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission covers part of the cost.
Treat November as the current target, not a promise. In April, St. Lucie Voice reported that the park work was "slated to finish in July." The county also says more stormwater, road and infrastructure work on the park entrance and drainage was set to follow the opening of the new bridge. That ties part of the park's timeline to the same construction zone. The county's facility listing includes fishing piers among the park's amenities.
A November weekend that works around the work
The busiest day on the island's November calendar arrives while the channel is still narrowed. The National Navy SEAL Museum's 41st Annual Muster runs November 6 and 7. The main event is Saturday, November 7, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the museum. This year there's no single tactical demonstration. Instead the day opens at 8 a.m. with the traditional 5K, and activities run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum's own lot is closed that Saturday. Visitors park in a field five-tenths of a mile south, and a free shuttle runs to the event.
A Saturday built around Muster and the open pieces of the causeway could look like this:
- Early morning: the 22nd Annual Muster 5K Beach Challenge starts at 8 a.m., with registration through the museum's site.
- Midday: park in the field south of the museum and take the shuttle rather than circling A1A.
- Afternoon: head to Fort Pierce Inlet State Park at 905 Shorewinds Drive, open 8 a.m. to sunset year-round. Or go a mile north to Jack Island Preserve for its hiking, biking and nature-study trails.
The museum keeps something going after Muster weekend. Its schedule lists Dogs of the K9 Project sessions at noon on November 18 and December 2. Handlers bring their dogs and talk about the bond between Special Operators and their canine companions, and the program is included with paid museum admission.
The sand around the inlet is already back to normal. The Fort Pierce shore-protection project placed about 400,000 cubic yards of sand along roughly a mile of shoreline just south of the inlet, and the county reported it complete on May 18, 2026.
What stays on the 2027 schedule
The last pieces will take much longer than the ramp. FDOT's September and October reports put the $111.5 million project's completion, including the final demolition of the old drawbridge, at late 2027. FDOT's project page still says summer 2027. The project also includes a shared-use path along Old Dixie Highway to connect with the East Coast Greenway, a new access road under the bridge to businesses east of the railroad, and the Juanita Avenue extension to Old Dixie. FDOT's weekly reports list the Greenway path as part of the project scope and don't list it as open. Its community outreach specialist, Samantha Kayser, takes project questions at 772-579-5479.
Until then, here is the schedule to plan around. The A1A lane closure ends October 31, Muster is November 7, North Causeway Park is expected back in November, and the channel restrictions run through December 1. The bike lanes, north path and observation deck open whenever FDOT's weekly report finally drops the word "closed."
If you own on North Hutchinson Island and the new bridge has you thinking about what your home is worth now, the Beachfront Brooke Team can walk you through it, from how the causeway changes your listing's story to the boat-ramp access a buyer will ask about. Schedule Your White‑Glove Listing Consultation, and we'll keep you posted on each reopening as it happens.