New River Swing Bridge - Moving Bridges on Waymarking.com

Described by New Times Magazine as The Best Place to Get Stuck, the New River Swing Bridge is one of the oldest and longest swing bridges in the state. It is one of five swing bridges related to water bodies connected to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway that traverses the entire length of Florida's east coast.

When the bridge was erected in 1924-1925 by the Champion Bridge Company of Wilmington, Ohio, there were still deer grazing and Seminole Indians hunting along the banks of the New River. The bridge was originally known as the Reed-Snow bridge, named for the two mayors of Fort Lauderdale that served during its construction: Mayor R. G. Snow in 1924 and Mayor Will. J. Reed in 1925. The chairman of the city council in 1924 was Frank Stranahan, widely regarded as the founding father of Fort Lauderdale.

Today, the bridge is a part of the 400 block of Southwest 11th Avenue, which connects historic neighborhoods of Sailboat Bend and Riverside Park. The Fort Lauderdale Historical Society has designated the bridge as historic property #19.

The bridge has been in continuous operation since it was built. When a boat approaches, the bridge operator leaves the operator's house at the north end and walks to the center of the bridge. From there, the operator lowers the barricades and swings the bridge open and shut. During a power outage, the bridge can be swung open by hand.

This bridge makes an appearance in the film Hoot during a car chase. Most of the scenes of that film were shot in and around Fort Lauderdale.

There is a geocache hidden at the south end of the bridge. It's a nano-sized container, so don't forget your favorite writing utensil.

To get to the bridge by boat, take the New River upstream and follow the North Fork. By car, take I-95 to Broward Boulevard, go east to SW 11 Ave, then south to the bridge. There is a small park on the south side of the bridge with public parking.