Melbourne Causeway

Last updated
Melbourne Causeway
Melbourne Causeway.jpg
Melbourne Causeway in 2013
Coordinates 28°05′02″N80°35′29″W / 28.0840°N 80.5915°W / 28.0840; -80.5915
Carries2 general purpose lanes of US 192.svg US 192
(each bridge)
Crosses Indian River Lagoon
Localebetween Melbourne, Florida and Indialantic, Florida
Official nameErnest Kouwen-Hoven Bridge
Maintained by Florida Department of Transportation
ID number 700174 - Westbound
700181 - Eastbound
Characteristics
Designreinforced concrete
Total length2.0 km (1.2 mi) (bridge lengths combined)
Widthunknown
Longest span790.0 meters (2,590 feet; 0.491 miles)
Clearance above 16.76 meters (55.0 feet)
Clearance below 15.25 meters (50.0 feet)
History
Opened1979 - Westbound, 1984 - Eastbound
Location
Melbourne Causeway
Melbourne Causeway
Coordinates 28°05′14″N80°34′57″W / 28.0872°N 80.5825°W / 28.0872; -80.5825
Carries2 general purpose lanes
(each bridge)
Crosses Indian River Lagoon
Localebetween Melbourne, Florida and Indialantic, Florida
Official nameCentral Relief
Maintained by Florida Department of Transportation
ID number 700173 - Westbound
700175 - Eastbound
Characteristics
Designreinforced concrete
Total length62.8 meters (206 feet)
Widthunknown
Longest span62.8 meters (206 feet)
Clearance above 6.1 meters (20 feet)
Clearance below 4.6 meters (15 feet)
History
Opened1979
Location
Melbourne Causeway
Melbourne Causeway
Coordinates 28°05′19″N80°34′37″W / 28.0887°N 80.5770°W / 28.0887; -80.5770
Carries4 general purpose lanes
Crosses Indian River Lagoon
Localebetween Melbourne, Florida and Indialantic, Florida
Official nameEastern Relief
Maintained by Florida Department of Transportation
ID number 700037
Characteristics
Designreinforced concrete
Total length66 meters (217 feet)
Widthunknown
Longest span66 meters (217 feet)
Clearance above 6.1 meters (20 feet)
Clearance below 4.6 meters (15 feet)
History
Opened1947
Location
Melbourne Causeway

The Melbourne Causeway is located entirely within Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is composed of three bridges and connects the municipalities of Melbourne and Indialantic across the Indian River Lagoon in Brevard County. The causeway is part of U.S. 192 (also known as SR 500), whose eastern terminus is located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) east of the bridge, at SR A1A. East of the bridge, the road is known locally as Fifth Avenue. On the western side, the road continues through downtown Melbourne as Strawbridge Avenue. Each July 4 the bridge is closed for a fireworks show.

Contents

There are two bridges in Melbourne, the Melbourne Causeway and the Eau Gallie Causeway (SR 518) With the latter being named for the old city of Eau Gallie, which merged with Melbourne in 1969.

History

First bridge

Ernest Kouwen-Hoven began construction of the second bridge across the Indian River in 1919. The first bridge was completed 2 years earlier near Cocoa, Florida. By May 1921 the bridge was complete and unofficially opened as a toll bridge. It was 9,706 feet (2,958 meters) or nearly 2 miles (3.2 km) long (3 kilometers). Approximately 1/3 of the way from Melbourne there was a 134-foot-long (41 m) hand-operated draw. On September 18, 1921, the bridge officially opened. A Mr. J. E. Campbell was the first to drive across the bridge. During construction three sawmills were built by Ernest Kouwen-Hoven. They did not all exist at the same time. The first one was in Melbourne Village, the second was on the Nevin Property on Merritt Island, and the third was 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Grant.

Second bridge

The causeway between Indialantic and Melbourne was opened to traffic on August 1, 1939. The causeway consisted of fill material dredged from the bottom of the Indian River south of the causeway's location. The road surface was asphalt laid down and pressed by road rolling machines. The wooden bridge was largely replaced by the new causeway. The original bridge had a rotating span near the western end of the causeway to permit boat traffic to pass through and was operated by a person in a small shelter directly on the rotating section. In the following paragraph it appears that the author is referring to the replacement of the rotating draw span.

In 1941, construction began on the second bridge between Melbourne and Indialantic. This bridge was a low-rise swing draw bridge. On August 1, 1947, Mrs. Ernest Kouwen-Hoven cut the ribbon and the same J. E. Campbell that crossed the first bridge, was the first to cross this bridge.

Third bridge

The third bridge contains two twin spans that are 2,592.5 feet (790.2 m) long. According to the Melbourne Centennial Book the official start of construction was February 2, 1976, and the bridge was expected to be complete by fall of 1977. It appears to have been delayed with the westbound span being constructed in 1977 and ending 2 years later. From bridge id numbers, it appears that the western relief bridges were also constructed during this time. Construction of the eastbound span did not begin until 1981 and finished in 1984.

Component bridges

Ernest Kouwen-Hoven Memorial Bridge

The Ernest Kouwen-Hoven Memorial Bridge is the official name of the high-rise span, officially dedicated by the State of Florida Legislature on 28 May 1978. This name is not used locally, and only appears in official government documents.

Relief bridges

These bridges are unremarkable, and have no appreciable change in grade. The easternmost relief bridge is commonly used by local fishermen.

Sources

Bridge ID's

Bridge length

Original bridge length

Bridge history

Kiwanis Park at Geiger Point

At the base of the causeway on the western side is the Kiwanis Park at Geiger Point, a 7-acre community park managed by the Brevard County Parks & Recreation.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indialantic, Florida</span> Town in the state of Florida, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne, Florida</span> City in Florida, United States

Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located 72 mi (116 km) southeast of Orlando. As of the 2020 Decennial Census, there was a population of 84,678. The municipality is the second-largest in the county by both size and population. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1969, the city was expanded by merging with nearby Eau Gallie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eau Gallie, Florida</span> Neighborhood of Melbourne in Brevard, Florida

Eau Gallie is a section of the city of Melbourne, Florida, located on the city's northern side. It was an independent city in Brevard County from 1860 until 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 3</span> State highway in Brevard County, Florida, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 513</span>

State Road 513, also known as South Patrick Drive, is a short north–south road located along the western side of the barrier island towns of Indian Harbour Beach, Satellite Beach and South Patrick Shores in Brevard County. The southern terminus is at an intersection with SR 518 near the eastern end of the Eau Gallie Causeway in Indian Harbour Beach. The northern terminus is at a partial interchange with the Pineda Causeway, just south of the southern entrance of Patrick Space Force Base.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 518</span> Highway in Florida

State Road 518, also called Eau Gallie Boulevard, is a short but major east–west highway with a western terminus at Interstate 95 on the Florida mainland, crossing the Indian River via the Eau Gallie Causeway, and having its eastern terminus at SR A1A. Most of SR 518 is located within the city of Melbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 404</span> Highway in Florida

State Road 404 (SR 404), the Pineda Causeway, is an east–west divided highway currently running from Interstate 95 (I-95) to SR A1A at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, US. It was opened as a toll road in 1971 and classified as a state road two years later. The tolls were removed in 1990. It was named after Pineda, a former village east of Suntree on U.S. Route 1 (US 1). With interchanges at US 1 (SR 5), South Tropical Trail, and South Patrick Drive (SR 513), the Pineda Causeway is the primary access for Patrick Space Force Base and the southern end of Merritt Island. From US 1 to the eastern terminus, it is part of the Indian River Lagoon Scenic Highway system.

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Ernest Kouwen-Hoven (1875–1940) came to the U.S at the age of 20 from the Netherlands. In 1908, his son, Jack, was born. His daughter, Phylis, followed in 1910. In 1915, the family arrived in Melbourne, Florida from California. He purchased land and platted it in 1916, thus founding Indialantic, Florida. The plat was later revised in 1919. In the same year, he began construction of his toll bridge across the Indian River. His original "Indialantic, Florida Land Sales" office, which was destroyed by fire in 1919, was built on Front Street in Melbourne.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eau Gallie River</span> River in Florida, United States

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References

    Coordinates: 28°05′10″N80°35′13″W / 28.086°N 80.587°W / 28.086; -80.587