Don’t want to take the four main causeways from Miami to Miami Beach? There are others
If you’re looking to cross Biscayne Bay to get from Miami to Miami Beach, you might think to take any of the four causeways that span the water from city to city. But each of those roadways can have issues: traffic, tolls, stoplights, backups, construction.
Three other Miami-Dade causeways also connect the mainland to the beach areas. Yes, they run north of the central Miami-Beach city limits, but they offer similar views of the Intracoastal and can be the road less traveled.
Here’s a breakdown of the Broad, Sunny Isles Beach and Lehman causeways:
Broad Causeway
Toll: $1.50 for SunPass and $2 for toll-by-plate. There is no longer a staffed toll booth.
Built: Opened in 1951.
Route: Runs from Northeast 123rd Street in North Miami and becomes Kane Concourse in Bay Harbor and empties onto 96th Street on the Surfside-Bal Harbour border.
History: The causeway is named for lawyer and developer Shepard Broad, the first mayor of Bay Harbor Islands. A gas station sits in the middle of the eastbound and westbound lanes, and offers people pumping fuel stunning views of Biscayne Bay on both sides.
Sunny Isles Causeway
Toll: None
Built: Widened and renovated in 1985-89.
Route: Runs from Northeast 163rd Street east through Eastern Shores and past Oleta River State Park, crosses the Intracoastal and ends on A1A in Sunny Isles Beach.
Alternate name: 163rd Street Causeway, State Road 826
History: The Sunny Isles Beach side of the causeway, on the eastern side, used to be lined with restaurants and shops, including the popular 1970s and ’80s teen hangout My Pi pizza and the popular Lime House Chinese restaurant. When the road was widened, those shops were demolished. In the past few years, luxury high-rise condos, some with retail on the first floors, have been built on the eastern edge of the street leading to the causeway.
William Lehman Causeway
Toll: None
Built: Opened 1983 after 14 years of design.
Route: Begins on the mainland at Northeast 192nd Street just south of the Aventura Mall, runs for two miles and spans the Intracoastal before ending at A1A in Sunny Isles Beach.
Alternate name: State Road 856
History: Named after former Congressman William Lehman and features a 65-foot crest. It was the first major causeway to open in Miami-Dade County since the Julia Tuttle in 1960.
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 11:59 AM.
