Santa Rosa Sound is a sound connecting Pensacola Bay and Choctawhatchee Bay in Florida . The northern shore consists of the Fairpoint Peninsula and portions of the mainland in Santa Rosa County and Okaloosa County . It is bounded to the south by Santa Rosa Island (also known as Okaloosa Island in the easternmost region of the sound), separating it from the Gulf of Mexico .
6-483: The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway between Pensacola Beach and Fort Walton Beach is routed through the sound. Three bridges carry pedestrian and automobile traffic to the barrier islands on the south side of the sound. The first two bridges have the lowest clearance of any span over the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway . For this reason, many sailboats with masts taller than 50 feet must "go outside" and bypass
12-689: A location in Okaloosa County , Florida is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a location in Santa Rosa County , Florida is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Gulf Intracoastal Waterway The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway ( GIWW ) is the portion of the Intracoastal Waterway located along the Gulf Coast of the United States . It
18-473: Is a navigable inland waterway running approximately 1,300 mi (2,100 km) from Saint Marks, Florida , to Brownsville , Texas . The waterway provides a channel with a controlling depth of 12 ft (3.7 m), designed primarily for barge transportation. Although the U.S. government proposals for such a waterway were made in the early 19th century, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
24-400: Is at mile 284.6 EHL (East of Harvey Lock). The Queen Isabella Causeway Bridge at South Padre Island is at mile 665.1 WHL (West of Harvey Lock). The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway crosses or meets, and in some cases is confluent with, numerous other navigable rivers and waterways. They include: Many of the busiest ports in the United States in terms of tons of cargo are located on or near
30-490: The protected sound using the unprotected waters of the Gulf of Mexico . From west to east, the bridges crossing Santa Rosa Sound, including the names of communities on both sides of the bridge (mainland side, followed by island side) and center span clearances above mean sea level, are: 30°24′07″N 86°46′37″W / 30.4019171°N 86.7768273°W / 30.4019171; -86.7768273 . This article about
36-553: Was not completed until 1949. Locations along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway are defined in terms of statute miles (as opposed to nautical miles , in which most marine routes are measured) east and west of Harvey Lock, a navigation lock in the New Orleans area located at 29°54′32″N 90°05′02″W / 29.909°N 90.084°W / 29.909; -90.084 . The Hathaway Bridge in Panama City , Florida, for example,
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