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Seven Mile Bridge
Seven mile bridge.jpg
Seven Mile Bridge with the original in the foreground
Coordinates 24°41′54″N 81°10′36″W / 24.6982°N 81.1767°W / 24.6982; -81.1767
Carries 2 lanes of US 1
Crosses Moser Channel
Locale Florida Keys, Monroe County, Florida
Maintained by Florida Department of Transportation
ID number 900101
Characteristics
Design Precast segmented box girder bridge
Total length 35,719.2 feet 6.765 miles (10.887 km)
Width 38 feet (12 m)
Longest span 135 feet (41 m)
Clearance below 65 feet (20 m)
History
Construction cost $45 million (equivalent to $108 million in 2021 dollars)
Opened May 24, 1982

The Seven Mile Bridge is a very famous bridge in the Florida Keys, Florida, United States. It connects Knight's Key to Little Duck Key. This bridge is a big part of the Overseas Highway. This highway is part of the long U.S. Route 1.

There are actually two bridges in this spot. The newer bridge is used by cars and trucks today. The older bridge is now a path for people walking and biking. It was once a railroad bridge!

History of the Seven Mile Bridge

Construction view of concrete bridge meeting railroad bridge, 10-28-37 (Matlack 247-13). - Seven Mile Bridge, Linking Florida Keys, Marathon, Monroe County, FL HAER FLA,44-KNIKE,1-62
Highway surface being constructed over railroad superstructure
TZ5 pics (16)edited
Entrance plaque

The original Seven Mile Bridge was built a long time ago. Construction started in 1909 and finished in 1912. It was built by Henry Flagler for his Florida East Coast Railway. This railway was called the Key West Extension or the Overseas Railroad. It helped trains travel all the way to Key West.

From Railroad to Roadway

A powerful storm, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, damaged the railroad. After the storm, the U.S. government bought the railway. They decided to fix the Seven Mile Bridge for cars to use. Workers added new sections to make it wider for vehicles. Old railroad tracks were even used as guardrails!

The old bridge had a special part called a swing bridge. This part could open up to let boats pass through the Moser Channel. This channel is near Pigeon Key, a small island that was once a work camp. Another hurricane, Hurricane Donna, caused more damage in 1960.

Building the New Bridge

Because of the damage and the need for a stronger bridge, a new one was built. Construction for the current road bridge took place from 1978 to 1982. This new bridge is what cars drive on today.

Most of the original bridge is still there. The swing part is gone now. A section of the old bridge, about 2.2 miles long, leads to Pigeon Key. It was used for fishing and cars for a while. However, it was closed to cars in 2008 because parts started to sag. In 2014, a plan was approved to fix the old bridge. The pedestrian section was closed for repairs and reopened in January 2022.

How the Bridge Was Built

The new Seven Mile Bridge is made of many strong concrete sections. It has 440 different parts. Near the middle, the bridge curves upwards. This creates a 65-foot-high space for boats to pass underneath. The rest of the bridge is closer to the water. The new bridge does not go over Pigeon Key.

Important Connections

The new bridge is actually a bit shorter than the original. It is about 6.79 miles long. It carries more than just cars! Inside the bridge, there's an aqueduct that brings fresh water to the lower Florida Keys. It also holds fiber optic cables for phone and internet services.

The Seven Mile Bridge Run

Every April, the bridge closes for about 2.5 hours on a Saturday. This is for the Seven Mile Bridge Run. This race celebrates the completion of the new bridge in 1982. It remembers the big project that replaced Henry Flagler's old railroad bridges.

The Seven Mile Bridge was designed by Figg & Muller Engineers. They also designed the much taller Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The project finished six months early and won many awards!

The Bridge in Movies and TV

The Seven Mile Bridge is so famous that it has appeared in many films and TV shows. You might have seen it in movies like Road House, Licence to Kill, True Lies, and 2 Fast 2 Furious. It was also featured in the TV show Burn Notice. You can even see it in the upcoming video game Grand Theft Auto VI.

Gallery

Original bridge

  • East Coast Railway train crossing Moser Channel on the Key West extension of the Overseas Railroad (12480734864)

    Illustration of FEC train crossing the bridge

  • Moser Channel Bridge, draw span partially open, no date (Kyle K-32). - Seven Mile Bridge, Linking Florida Keys, Marathon, Monroe County, FL HAER FLA,44-KNIKE,1-68

    Moser Channel swing span in the railroad-era

  • Pigeon Key from the Seven Mile Bridge, Florida Keys (8591385115)

    Approaching Pigeon Key post-highway conversion. Guardrails are made up of rails from the former railroad.

  • Seven Mile Bridge, Florida Keys (8592496566)

    1955 view of the bridge.

  • Traffic waiting for Moser Channel turnstile bridge

    Traffic waiting for the open swing span over Moser Channel.

  • Pigeon Key FL old bridge02

    Severed segment after the bridge was closed to traffic.

Current bridge

  • A324, Seven Mile Bridge, Florida Keys, USA, 2010

    Current bridge

  • Seven miles bridge

    Surface of the current bridge with original bridge and Pigeon Key in the background

See also

  • List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Florida
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