Billy's Creek Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Billy's Creek Bridge |
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| Coordinates | 26°39′06″N 81°51′24″W / 26.6517°N 81.8567°W |
| Carries |   SR 80 Westbound |
| Crosses | Billy's Creek |
| Locale | Fort Myers, Florida |
| Maintained by | Florida Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Vertical-lift bridge |
| History | |
| Opened | 1941 |
The Billy's Creek Bridge is a historic bridge located in Fort Myers, Florida. It's a special kind of bridge known as a vertical-lift bridge. This bridge helps cars traveling west on State Road 80 cross over Billy's Creek. Before, it carried traffic in both directions, but now eastbound cars use different streets nearby.
What is the Billy's Creek Bridge?
This bridge was built a long time ago, in 1941. It's called a 'vertical-lift bridge' because a part of it can be lifted straight up. This allows boats to pass underneath without hitting the bridge.
Unique Design Features
The Billy's Creek Bridge has four short towers. These towers hold the special machinery that lifts the middle section of the bridge. It's quite unique because it's the smallest vertical-lift bridge in all of Florida!
It's also the only vertical-lift bridge in Florida that uses powerful water pressure, called hydraulics, to lift its middle section. Even though the lifting part hasn't been used since 1987, the bridge was fixed up and improved in 2013.
