Card Sound Bridge

Last updated
Card Sound Bridge
Aerial photographs of Florida MM00034828x (9409080839).jpg
Aerial view in 1987
Coordinates 25°17′14″N80°22′07″W / 25.2873°N 80.3685°W / 25.2873; -80.3685
CarriesCR 905A jct.svg CR 905A (Card Sound Road)
CrossesCard Sound
LocaleMiami-Dade County
Maintained byDade and Monroe Counties
Characteristics
Total length2800ft
History
Construction cost$2.6 million
Opened1928 (wooden drawbridge)
1969 (modern causeway)
Statistics
Daily traffic 1900 vehicles per day
Toll$1.50 (SunPass), $4.00 (toll by plate)
Location
Card Sound Bridge

Card Sound Bridge is a high-rise toll causeway connecting southern Miami-Dade County and northern Monroe County. It is one of only two ways that motorists can leave or enter the Florida Keys (the other is U.S. Route 1). The toll for two-axle automobiles is USD $1.50 (USD $1.00 for each additional axle) if paid via SunPass. The prior toll plaza was demolished during hurricane Matthew and has been replaced with a toll-by-plate plaza. The toll fee will be charged by plate automatically and sent via the mail to the address on the vehicle registration. The cashless all-electronic tolling system replaced the previous staffed toll booth on October 20, 2018. [1] The toll fee is waived upon evacuating the Keys for hurricanes or in instances in which US 1 is impassable.

Contents

Operation

Looking west on the bridge, towards the toll station, in 2011 Card Sound FL bridge01.jpg
Looking west on the bridge, towards the toll station, in 2011

The primary responsibility for operating Card Sound Bridge lies with Monroe County, but maintenance of the bridge itself is shared between Monroe County and the Florida Department of Transportation. The bridge itself is on Card Sound Road, constructed by then-Dade County in 1926 for the original Card Sound Bridge. Toll employees are locals, living in a very small town along Card Sound Road on the north side of the bridge, and according to toll operators, a portion of the proceeds from the toll go to fund parts of their community.[ citation needed ] Effective August, 2017, the toll booth was closed and all employees were laid off. In December, 2017, the toll booth was removed in preparation for an automated toll booth to be installed in the spring of 2018. This is expected to save Monroe county approximately $300,000 per year in employee wages.

Original wooden drawbridges

Like the Overseas Highway, the history of Card Sound Bridge begins with the Overseas Railway—although at no time was the bridge part of Henry M. Flagler's plans. The concept of an Overseas Highway (then called "Overseas Road") began with the Miami Motor Club in 1921. [2] At that time, southern Florida was undergoing a land boom, and the club wanted to attract new tourists to an easily reached fishing area. In addition, the real estate interests wanted access to thousands of acres of wilderness in the Upper Keys to develop and sell.

Commissioners from Dade and Monroe Counties agreed to build a highway connecting Florida City to Key Largo. They preferred to build it alongside the Overseas Railroad, which was completed in 1912; commercial interests and motorists attending the joint meeting expressed a preference for a road extending to the southeast, to Card Sound, instead. In 1922, Monroe County residents approved the issuance of $300,000 of bonds for a new bridge (equivalent to $4.3 million in 2023); under an agreement with their Monroe brethren, Dade County officials would oversee the construction of an 11-mile (18 km)-long Card Sound Road to the wooden drawbridge.

Construction of both the road and the drawbridge went slowly. The money ran out in 1925 and Monroe County voters were asked to approve the issuance of $2.6 million in bonds in early 1926 (equivalent to $35.8 million in 2023). The vote—passing the measure with only two dissenting votes—enabled construction to continue.

The swing span drawbridge and road were both nearly ready for opening when, on September 18, 1926 a major hurricane seriously damaged both. [3] [4] The bridge was redesigned and rebuilt, raising the water clearance from five feet to nine feet to accommodate storm surge. [2] On January 25, 1928, the 2,800-foot (850 m), wooden, Card Sound Bridge was opened to traffic.

State Road 4A and US 1

When Card Sound Bridge was opened, the State Road Department (the predecessor to the Florida Department of Transportation), extended the State Road 4A designation from downtown Homestead to Key West (prior to this, SR 4A went from the intersection of present-day U.S. Route 1 and US 41 in Miami to Homestead), even though there was still a 40-mile (64 km) gap in the road between Lower Matecumbe Key and No Name Key. [5]

After the Great Labor Day Hurricane destroyed sections of the Overseas Railroad on September 3, 1935, the State of Florida bought the remnants for $640,000 and proceeded to construct road bridges on top of the railroad trestles. The "Overseas Highway" was completed and opened (as a toll road) on March 29, 1938. The following year, US 1 was extended from Miami over Card Sound to Key West.

Decline and fall of the wooden drawbridge

By the 1940s, the bridge was considered outdated, and many defects caused by World War II led to the bridges' ultimate demise. In 1941, a water pipeline was constructed from the Everglades to Key Largo along the old railroad right-of-way; the following year, a new roadway was constructed beside the pipeline, and US 1 was rerouted along the new highway (locally known as the "18 Mile Stretch"). In addition to shortening the route by 13 miles (21 km), it enabled motorists to avoid the wooden bridges in northern Key Largo—including Card Sound.

A 1944 fire seriously damaged Card Sound's drawbridge, which was subsequently removed to prevent its further use; a 1947 hurricane and additional fires caused Monroe County officials to remove the Card Sound Bridge completely. [6]

Construction of new causeway

In the two decades after the removal of the Card Sound wooden drawbridge, various schemes to increase access between the Keys and mainland Florida came and went. A 22-mile (35 km)-long bridge from Cape Sable to No Name Key did not succeed due to the establishment of Everglades National Park; a monorail from Miami to Cape Sable to Key West met the same fate. [2]

In the 1960s a plan to connect Key Biscayne to northern Key Largo by way of Elliott Key almost took root as officials from Dade and Monroe Counties differed on the division of toll revenues. In the meantime, the United States Department of the Interior started purchasing land in Biscayne Bay with an eye toward creating a new National Park. The 1968 formation of Biscayne National Monument (which became Biscayne National Park in 1980) hastened the demise of the "Islandia plan" (named after a sparsely populated municipality on Elliott Key), but one component of the proposal survived: a new 65-foot (20 m)-high causeway to be the new Card Sound Bridge.

The new causeway was completed and open to traffic in 1969. Card Sound Road became State Road 905A, a FDOT designation which was modified to SR S-905A in the mid-1970s. In the early 1980s, Card Sound Road was transferred to county maintenance in both Dade and Monroe Counties, although the stretch on northern Key Largo between Ocean Reef Club and US 1 is still "State Road 905" in Monroe County ordinances passed in the 2000s. Actually, County Road 905A has its northern terminus at an intersection with US 1 in Florida City and its southern terminus at County Road 905 in northern Key Largo five miles (8 km) to the east of Card Sound Bridge (CR 905 continues southwestward eight miles (13 km) until it joins US 1). Both CR 905 and 905A on Key Largo still show FDOT signs indicating State routes on their shoulders.

As of 2016, Card Sound Bridge is traversed by 3500 vehicles daily. [7]

Related Research Articles

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

Monroe County is a county in the state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 82,874. Its county seat is Key West. Monroe County includes the islands of the Florida Keys and comprises the Key West-Key Largo Micropolitan Statistical Area. Over 99.9% of the county's population lives on the Florida Keys. The mainland, which is part of the Everglades, comprises 87% of the county's land area and is virtually uninhabited with only 17 people recorded in the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islandia, Florida</span> Unincorporated community in Florida, United States

Islandia is an unincorporated community and former city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is located in the upper Florida Keys on the islands of Elliott Key and other nearby keys, such as Totten Key. It was the only municipality in the Florida Keys not located in neighboring Monroe County. The population was 18 at the 2010 Census. Most residents of the city were National Park Service employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida Keys</span> Coral cay archipelago in Florida, United States

The Florida Keys are a coral cay archipelago off the southern coast of Florida, forming the southernmost part of the continental United States. They begin at the southeastern coast of the Florida peninsula, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Miami and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry Tortugas. The islands lie along the Florida Straits, dividing the Atlantic Ocean to the east from the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest, and defining one edge of Florida Bay. The southern part of Key West is 93 miles (150 km) from Cuba. The Keys are located between about 24.3 and 25.5 degrees North latitude.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Key Largo</span> Island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago

Key Largo is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and is the largest section of the keys, at 33 miles (53 km) long. It is one of the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the keys connected by U.S. Highway 1. Three census-designated places (CDPs) are on the island of Key Largo: North Key Largo, Key Largo and Tavernier. As of 2010, these three CDPs have a combined population of 13,850. None of Key Largo is an incorporated municipality; it is governed, at the local level, by Monroe County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biscayne Bay</span> Florida lagoon

Biscayne Bay is a lagoon with characteristics of an estuary located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida. The northern end of the lagoon is surrounded by the densely developed heart of the Miami metropolitan area while the southern end is largely undeveloped with a large portion of the lagoon included in Biscayne National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Key Biscayne</span> Island in Florida, United States

Key Biscayne is an island located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, located between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay. It is the southernmost of the barrier islands along the Atlantic coast of Florida, and lies south of Miami Beach and southeast of Miami. The key is connected to Miami via the Rickenbacker Causeway, originally built in 1947.

The Tamiami Trail is the southernmost 284 miles (457 km) of U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) from State Road 60 (SR 60) in Tampa to US 1 in Miami. A portion of the road also has the hidden designation of State Road 90 (SR 90).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overseas Highway</span> Highway through the Florida Keys to Key West, Florida, USA

The Overseas Highway is a 113-mile (181.9 km) highway carrying U.S. Route 1 (US 1) through the Florida Keys to Key West. Large parts of it were built on the former right-of-way of the Overseas Railroad, the Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway. Completed in 1912, the Overseas Railroad was heavily damaged and partially destroyed in the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. The Florida East Coast Railway was financially unable to rebuild the destroyed sections, so the roadbed and remaining bridges were sold to the state of Florida for $640,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venetian Causeway</span> Bridge in Miami-Dade County, Florida, Florida, United States

The Venetian Causeway crosses Biscayne Bay between Miami on the mainland and Miami Beach on a barrier island in the Miami metropolitan area. The man-made Venetian Islands and non-bridge portions of the causeway were created by materials which came from the dredging of the bay. The Venetian Causeway follows the original route of the Collins Bridge, a wooden 2.5 mi (4 km) long structure built in 1913 by John S. Collins and Carl G. Fisher which opened up the barrier island for unprecedented growth and development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 913</span> State highway in Florida, United States

State Road 913 is an access road between the village of Key Biscayne on the island of Key Biscayne and I-95 in Miami on the western end of Biscayne Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 836</span> Highway in Florida

The Dolphin East-West Expressway is a 15.4-mile (24.8 km) freeway, with the westernmost 14 miles (23 km) as an all-electronic tollway signed as State Road 836, and the easternmost 1.292 miles (2.079 km) between Interstate 95 (I-95) and SR A1A cosigned as Interstate 395 (I-395).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 922</span> Highway in Florida, US

State Road 922 is a 5.548 miles (8.929 km) east–west road built in 1951, passing through the cities of North Miami, Bay Harbor Islands, and Bal Harbour, Florida. Locally, the street is also known as North 125th Street, North Miami Boulevard, Northeast 123rd Street, Broad Causeway, 96th Street, and Kane Concourse. Its western terminus is an intersection with Northwest Seventh Avenue, one block west of Interstate 95, its eastern terminus is an intersection with SR A1A. The street is an important commercial artery in northeastern Miami-Dade County, with stores lining much of the route, including the Bal Harbour Shops mall near its eastern terminus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elliott Key</span> Northernmost of the true Florida Keys in the United States of America

Elliott Key is the northernmost of the true Florida Keys, and the largest key north of Key Largo. It is located entirely within Biscayne National Park, in Miami-Dade County, Florida, east of Homestead, Florida. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Biscayne Bay to the west, Sands Key to the north, and Old Rhodes Key to the south. Adams Key is just west of the southern end of Elliott Key. Elliott Key is about seven miles (11 km) long. Its maximum width is about 2,500 feet (760 m) near the north end, and its average width is less than 2,000 feet (610 m). The higher elevations on the island range from 6 to 8 feet above sea level and occur generally along an unimproved road that runs longitudinally through the center of the island. The average elevation is about 3 feet (0.91 m) above sea level. The key is accessible only by boat. Elliott Key has a National Park Service campground, but is otherwise uninhabited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida State Road 934</span> Highway in Florida

State Road 934 runs for 13.1 miles (21.1 km) from State Road 826 in Medley to SR A1A in Miami Beach. It is a major east–west highway in the Miami metropolitan area.

The Homestead Extension of Florida's Turnpike (HEFT), designated as unsigned State Road 821 (SR 821), is the southern extension of Florida's Turnpike, a controlled-access toll road in the U.S. state of Florida maintained by Florida's Turnpike Enterprise (FTE). Spanning approximately 48 miles (77 km) along a north–south axis, it supplements the 265-mile (426 km) mainline to form the complete 309-mile (497 km) turnpike. The extension begins at its southern terminus at U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Florida City, and transitions into the SR 91 mainline in Miramar at its northern end. Despite their designations as different state roads, the mainline and the extension are continuous in their exit numbering.

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

The Rickenbacker Causeway is a causeway that connects Miami, Florida to the barrier islands of Virginia Key and Key Biscayne across Biscayne Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 1 in Florida</span> Highway in Florida

U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) in Florida runs 545 miles (877 km) along the state's east coast from Key West to its crossing of the St. Marys River into Georgia north of Boulogne and south of Folkston. US 1 was designated through Florida when the U.S. Numbered Highway System was established in 1926. With the exception of Monroe County, the highway runs through the easternmost tier of counties in the state, connecting numerous towns and cities along its route, including nine county seats. The road is maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).

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

The Jewfish Creek Bridge is a beam bridge in the Florida Keys. Spanning both Jewfish Creek and Lake Surprise, it carries the Overseas Highway between the Florida Keys and the Florida mainland. The bridge is 65 feet (20 m) tall and opened in 2008, replacing a small drawbridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in South Florida</span> Overview of transportation in South Florida

The Miami metropolitan area composed of the three counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach, also known collectively as South Florida, is home to a wide variety of public and private transportation systems.

References

  1. "After a year of no tolls, Card Sound Road bridge in Keys will get electronic payments". Miami Herald . October 11, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 History of the Overseas Highway
  3. "Archived copy". floridakeys.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2002. Retrieved 15 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. Monroe County History
  5. 1933 Florida Road Map
  6. "An Ocean Reef Club Timeline". Archived from the original on May 14, 2005.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-10-30. Retrieved 2017-10-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

25°17′14″N80°22′07″W / 25.2873°N 80.3685°W / 25.2873; -80.3685