Pine Island Causeway

Last updated
Pine Island Causeway
Aerial view of old Matlacha Bridge in 2008.jpg
Aerial view of the 1968–2012 Matlacha Pass Bridge
Coordinates 26°37′57.55″N82°04′04.68″W / 26.6326528°N 82.0679667°W / 26.6326528; -82.0679667
CarriesCR 78 jct.svg CR 78 (Pine Island Road)
CrossesMatlacha Pass
Locale Matlacha, Florida
Maintained byLee County Department of Transportation
Characteristics
Design3 concrete bridges with 1 bascule span
Clearance above 9 Feet (with drawbridge lowered)
History
OpenedOriginal crossing:
1927
Matlacha Pass Bridge:
1968 (second bridge)
2012 (current bridge)
Porpoise Pass Canal Bridge:
1979 (current bridge)
Little Pine Island Bridge: 1977 (current bridge)
Statistics
TollNone
Location
Pine Island Causeway

The Pine Island Causeway is a roadway in Southwest Florida spanning Matlacha Pass connecting Pine Island, the largest island in Florida, to the main land in Cape Coral. The causeway carries Pine Island Road (CR 78) and consists of three bridges with dredged land sections in between them. The islands connected to the middle of the causeway are also home to the community of Matlacha (pronounced Mat-La-Shay). [1] It provides the only vehicular access to both Matlacha and Pine Island.

Contents

The Pine Island Causeway begins on the main land in Cape Coral. Heading west, the first bridge is the Matlacha Pass Bridge, a low level single-leaf bascule bridge. The causeway then enters the community of Matlacha on dredged land connected to Porpoise Point Island and West Island. The Porpoise Pass Canal Bridge on the causeway connects the two islands. The causeway then crosses the Little Pine Island Bridge, a low-level fixed-span bridge, to Pine Island.

History

The Pine Island Causeway was first built in 1926 and opened for traffic in 1927. It was built largely in part to the influence of Pine Island resident Harry Stringfellow (for whom the nearby Stringfellow Road is named), who served as a county commissioner from 1926 to 1953. [2] The causeway originally consisted of wooden bridges with land dredged from oyster beds in between the bridges. [3] The original Matlacha Pass Bridge included a swing span, which was a recycled span that had previously been used on the Alva Bridge over the Caloosahatchee River. [4]

The roadway crossing the causeway was added to the state highway system in the 1931 and the route was initially designated as State Road 183 (SR 183). SR 183 and a number of other roads became part of SR 78 during the 1945 Florida state road renumbering. [5] The roadway was transfered to county control in the 1980s.

The original swing bridge over Matlacha Pass was replaced with a concrete bascule bridge in 1968. [6] The bridge became a very popular fishing spot for local residents, and was nicknamed "The fishingest bridge in the world". [6]

The Little Pine Island Bridge was replaced with its current concrete bridge in 1977. [7] [8] The Porpoise Pass Canal Bridge was replaced with its current concrete structure in 1979. [9]

The current Matlacha Pass Bridge opened on November 18, 2012. [10] [11] After its demolition, the previous bridge (the one that operated from 1968 to 2012) was made into an artificial reef at Novak's reef, which is about 3 miles off the coast of Charlotte County. [12] [13]

Hurricane Ian

On September 28, 2022, the Pine Island Causeway was heavily damaged by the landfall of Hurricane Ian. The hurricane washed out the approaches to the bridges making them impassible, which greatly hindered rescue and recovery efforts on Pine Island. [14] After completing temporary repairs, the causeway reopened for public use on October 5, 2022. [15] The Florida Department of Transportation is currently working with Lee County on permanent repairs to the Pine Island Causeway. [16] The agencies are planning to fully replace the Little Pine Island Bridge with a more resilient bridge. [17]

Related Research Articles

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

Lee County is located in southwestern Florida, United States, on the Gulf Coast. As of the 2020 census, its population was 760,822. In 2022, the population was 822,453, making it the eighth-most populous county in the state. The county seat is Fort Myers, with a population of 86,395 as of the 2020 census, and the largest city is Cape Coral, with an estimated 2020 population of 194,016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bokeelia, Florida</span> Census-designated place in Florida, United States

Bokeelia is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located on Pine Island in Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 1,855, up from 1,780 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bokeelia is still home to one of Lee County's first pioneer families, the Padillas, who came by way of Cayo Costa.

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

Cape Coral is a city located in Lee County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. Founded in 1957 and developed as a planned community, the city's population had grown to 194,016 as of the 2020 Census, a rise of 26% from the 2010 Census, making it the 130th most populous city in the United States. With an area of 120 square miles (310 km2), Cape Coral is the largest city between Tampa and Miami in both population and area. It is the largest and principal city in the Cape Coral – Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city has over 400 mi (640 km) of navigable waterways, more than any other city on earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matlacha, Florida</span> Census-designated place in Florida, United States

Matlacha is a census-designated place (CDP) in Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 598. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pine Island Center, Florida</span> Census-designated place in Florida, United States

Pine Island Center is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located on Pine Island in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,942 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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

Sanibel is an island and city in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,382 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The island, also known as Sanibel Island, constitutes the entire city. It is a barrier island—a collection of sand on the leeward side of the more solid coral-rock of Pine Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. James City, Florida</span> Census-designated place in Florida, United States

St. James City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) on Pine Island in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,876 at the 2020 census, up from 3,784 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Pine Island is the largest island on the Gulf Coast of peninsular Florida in the United States. Located in Lee County, on the Gulf of Mexico coast of southwest Florida, it is also the 118th largest island in the United States. The Intracoastal Waterway passes through Pine Island Sound, to the west of the island. Matlacha Pass runs between Pine Island and the mainland. Pine Island lies west of Cape Coral. For many years, Pine Island was a major commercial fishing community and many of its full-time residents still fish commercially today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanibel Causeway</span> Causeway in Southwest Florida, U.S.

The Sanibel Causeway is a causeway in Southwest Florida that spans San Carlos Bay, connecting Sanibel Island with the Florida mainland in Punta Rassa. The causeway consists of three separate two-lane bridge spans, and two-man-made causeway islands between them. The entire causeway facility is owned by Lee County and operated by the Lee County Department of Transportation. The entire causeway is 3 miles (5 km) long from end to end, and currently has a $6 toll in effect for island-bound vehicles only. The bridges are not individually named, and are simply referred to as bridges A, B, and C. The islands are also named A and B. Both series begin from the mainland side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midpoint Memorial Bridge</span> Bridge in Florida, United States of America

The Midpoint Memorial Bridge is a bridge located in Southwest Florida. It spans the Caloosahatchee River, connecting Fort Myers and Cape Coral. It is a four-lane fixed span that is 1.125 miles (1.811 km) long. The bridge's name comes from serving as a midpoint or middle bridge for the Cape Coral bridges – Cape Coral Bridge is south, and the Caloosahatchee Bridge is located north. It carries County Road 884, which is known as Colonial Boulevard on the Fort Myers side, and Veterans Parkway on the Cape Coral side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinellas Bayway</span> Highway in Florida, United States of America

The Pinellas Bayway System is a series of bridges on two state roads in Pinellas County, Florida. It is a toll road complex maintained and operated by the Florida Department of Transportation. It also is compatible with the SunPass ETC system currently in use on all other FDOT-owned toll roads. The Pinellas Bayway consists of:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 78</span> State highway in Florida, United States

State Road 78 is the Florida Department of Transportation designation of the highway that historically extended from Pine Island Center on the Gulf Coast of Florida to the northern tip of Lake Okeechobee. In the 1980s, two segments of the route were removed from state maintenance to county maintenance and both were redesignated County Road 78. All three sections of SR 78 are signed east–west, even though the easternmost section is actually a north–south route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 699</span> Highway in Florida

Locally known as Gulf Boulevard and Blind Pass Road, State Road 699 is a 15-mile-long road running the length of the Pinellas County barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico and serving the popular beaches near St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Largo. The southern terminus of SR 699 is at the extreme western end of Pinellas Bayway in St. Pete Beach; the northern terminus is the extreme western end of SR 688 in Indian Rocks Beach. State Road 699 is the closest Gulf Coast analog to SR A1A on the Atlantic coast of Florida: indeed, the southernmost two miles (3 km) of SR 699 are part of a loop that Florida Department of Transportation designated as A19A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McGregor Boulevard</span>

State Road 867 and County Road 867 together create a 14.6-mile (23.5 km) long road known as McGregor Boulevard in Lee County, Florida, paralleling the Caloosahatchee River between Punta Rassa and Fort Myers. The entire road was formerly state-maintained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 789</span> State highway in Florida, United States

State Road 789 is a 17.5-mile-long road along the Florida’s Gulf Coast that spans Bird Key, St. Armands Key, and Lido Key, in Sarasota; Longboat Key ; and Anna Maria Island. The southern terminus is the intersection of the John Ringling Causeway and the Tamiami Trail in Sarasota; the northern terminus is the intersection of Gulf Drive, North and Manatee Avenue., West in Holmes Beach. Much of the northernmost five miles (8 km) has been designated Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 666</span> State highway in Florida, United States

State Road 666 (SR 666) is a short state road in Pinellas County. Locally known as Tom Stuart Causeway, Welch Causeway, or Madeira Beach Causeway, the route crosses Boca Ciega Bay from Seminole to Madeira Beach. The bridge crossing Boca Ciega Bay is a bascule bridge with 11 spans, built in 1962. The route ends with an interchange with U.S. Route 19 Alternate in Bay Pines. The southwestern terminus of the route is at State Road 699 in Madeira Beach, in front of the Ocean Sands hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matanzas Pass Bridge</span> Bridge in Florida, United States of America

The Matanzas Pass Bridge is a bridge located in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. It carries State Road 865 between the Florida mainland and Estero Island, which is a major tourist destination. The bridge is one of the island's two connections to the mainland. The other is the Bonita Beach Causeway on the south end of the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonita Beach Causeway</span> Bridge in Florida, United States of America

The Bonita Beach Causeway is a series of four low-level bridges located in Southwest Florida traversing the barrier islands of Estero Bay connecting the town of Fort Myers Beach with Bonita Springs. It carries Estero Boulevard and is four miles (6.4 km) long from end to end. Each bridge on the Bonita Beach Causeway is named after the body of water it crosses.

References

  1. ↑ "Matlacha History: Old Florida Then and Now". The Florida Living Magazine. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  2. ↑ "Harry Stringfellow". Pine Island Info: Preserving Pine Island's Past. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  3. ↑ WIlliams, Cynthia A. (6 October 2016). "5 things to know about Matlacha". The News-Press. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  4. ↑ "Lee County's Moveable Bridges: The Drawbridge at Alva". Tropicalia (from The News-Press). 2007-09-09.
  5. ↑ "Pre-1945 state roads 165-201". Blogspot. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  6. 1 2 "5 things about Matlacha bridges". Fort Myers News-Press . Fort Myers, Florida. October 15, 2016. Retrieved 2017-04-23.
  7. ↑ "Bad tooth leads to new building". The News-Press. 24 July 1977. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  8. ↑ Lemery, Hayley (27 April 2023). "Lee County leaders mull transportation projects, including Ian-damaged Little Pine Island Bridge". WGCU. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  9. ↑ "Bridge Inspections: SW PINE ISLAND RD over PORPOISE PASS CANAL". The News-Press. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  10. ↑ "Matlacha Bridge Opens". Fort Myers News-Press . Fort Myers, Florida. November 19, 2012. p. B1.
  11. ↑ "Matlacha Bridge opens". Archived from the original on 2012-12-26. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  12. ↑ Rupolo, John (November 20, 2012). "Matlacha Bridge on its way to becoming a reef". WGCU PBS & NPR for Southwest Florida. WFTX-TV. Archived from the original on December 26, 2012.
  13. ↑ Daugherty, Alex (2022-10-05). "Florida scrambling to restore bridges to cut-off communities". POLITICO. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
  14. ↑ Daugherty, Alex (October 5, 2022). "Florida scrambling to restore bridges to cut-off communities". Politico. Archived from the original on October 11, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Temporary bridge to Pine Island gives residents access to mainland, brings fuel and utility workers to area". Tampa, Florida: WTVT. October 5, 2022. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Pine Island Causeway and Bridge Reconstruction Project". Florida Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  17. ↑ "Full replacement of Little Pine Island span sought by county as part of FDOT permanent repairs". WGCU. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2024.

26°37′57.55″N82°04′04.68″W / 26.6326528°N 82.0679667°W / 26.6326528; -82.0679667

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.