These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Construction costs ballooned as engineers imported steel from Philadelphia, hydraulic concrete from Germany and gravel from Chesapeake Bay. In 1938, the original railroad bridge was converted to carry automobiles. I'm here right now.. Real sad. The view is amazing. The view was amazing. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Although vehicular traffic on the restored bridge is prohibited, an adjacent parking lot has been modified to accommodate up to 35 parked vehicles. Heres a section of her account on pedaling the length of the Keys. But nothing could control Florida's elements. Breathe in the warm salt air and take it all in for a memory that will last a lifetime. We biked all the way to the end at Pigeon Key, didnt tour it because for us it wasnt worth the $15 per person even for our kids to walk around it. (Flagler had died a year after the railroad opened.). Ever since, she has had a passion for learning, exploring, and discovering new places, and loves the opportunity to write about so many amazing spots all over the world. What makes this parking viable is that there is now a scenic walkway under the highway between that restaurant and the park at the base of the Old Seven Mile Bridge. Dismantled trackage was recycled, painted white, and used as guardrails. The longest bridge spanned 7-miles, giving it its name - The Old Seven Mile Bridge. It is a famous bridge in the Florida Keys and connects the Middle Keys to the Lower Keys and is among the longest bridges in existence when it was built. No, and with the walkers and bicyclists, its clear there wouldnt be room for fishing. is there a specific place to park and pay and walk the old bridge? Yes! I recently took the Pigeon Key Tour and was saddened to hear him barely mentioned. Seven Mile Bridge - Wikipedia Fred, an Australian Pine, has rooted and grown out of the Old Seven Mile Bridge . MARATHON, Fla. [AP] A segment of a 110-year-old Florida Keys bridge is reopening to pedestrians and bicyclists Wednesday following a $44 million restoration project. Florida Keys' Old Seven Mile Bridge Reopens To Walkers, Runners I would suggest that you check out the local party boats in the Keys - for fishing and they have bathrooms! A very rich old man by the time he fell in love with Florida, Flagler kept extending his railroad farther and farther down the Atlantic Coast. What hotels are near Old Seven Mile Bridge? Rusting bridges loom in eerie grandeur, like a capitalist Stonehenge. Explore different ways to experience this place. Sunset Key Cottages is a truly unique getaway located just off the coast of Key West, where the views are unparalleled. What great news, very informative as always. Multi use path in great shape. More than 400 people were killed in the storm. Hotels near Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters, Hotels near Crane Point Museum & Nature Center, Points of Interest & Landmarks in Marathon, Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters: Tickets & Tours, Curry Hammock State Park: Tickets & Tours, Visit to Uyuni Salt Flats from Sucre by Bus, Tour to Cenotes of Santa Barbara & Mayapan ruins from Merida, CLIFF JUMPING tour - Coasteering in Albufeira. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. The current road bridge was constructed from 1978 to 1982. Youll find several picnic tables at the base of the bridge, and you can choose aspot thats out in the sun or under some shade. Others thought that he was competing with his former partner,Rockefeller, who had by then become more famous. Welcome to the Overseas Highway of the Florida Keys [3] In 2014, the Florida Department of Transportation approved a $77 million plan to restore the old bridge. Although vehicular traffic on the restored bridge is prohibited, an adjacent parking lot has been modified to accommodate up to 35 parked vehicles. On my last night in Key West, I visited the final monument on the trail: Casa Marina, which in 1922 was the last of Flagler's palatial hotels to open its doors. (Or have a meal at the Sunset Grille and then take a walk on the bridge afterwards.). Thanks we are from Ireland and have never been to the keys. Close (and yet so far) from the main highway to Key West, the park is a great way to take in the beauty of the Keys at an amble. Its unique setting strikes old maritime chords. My great grandparents helped establish Marathon and if this bridge could talk? He was one of the world's richest men by the 1880s, but instead of resting on his laurels, he embarked on a risky second career in his mid-50s building railways and luxury hotels in Floridathen the last frontier of U.S. travelthat transformed lonely stretches of sand, including Palm Beach, into thriving metropolises. Just add your email and youre on the list. Historic Old Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys Reopens As a 90% of travelers recommend this experience. The historic Old Seven Mile Bridge in Florida has reopened following a huge $44million renovation. This is not as long of a walk and you can't reach Pigeon Key that way. The small ribbon-cutting ceremony turned into a Keys party: "People were excited. Some of the old bridge has been restored so you can walk or bike it out to Pigeon Key. Under the plan, the county, the City of Marathon and the Florida Department of Transportation all contribute. 1/ Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050, $$ - $$$ Vegetarian Friendly Vegan Options Gluten Free Options, Speciality Museums Nature & Wildlife Areas. The Old Seven Mile Bridge stretch between Pigeon Key and Marathon was converted to a 2.2 mile walking and biking path. Locals and visitors alike loved to venture out on the bridge, seeing the amazingly diverse marine wildlife from a different vantage point. Highly recommend! "If you're going to have an event on a tiny island, whatever it might be, it's pretty cool!, Saving Old Seven was a communal effort. Once a vital link between islands, it's being renovated to become a walking trail leading to Pigeon Key, a pocket-sized island . Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, the oft-photographed 2.2-mile span is scheduled to reopen after a $44 million renovation that began in 2017 part of a30-year agreement with a budget of $77 million ratified between the Keys Monroe County, Marathon municipal officials and the Florida Department of Transportation to fund restoration along with a maintenance program to ensure the landmarks preservation. Restoration work included structural steel and spalling and bridge joint system repairs; new decking, pedestrian and bicycle handrails; and other physical enhancements to make the 2.2-mile span safer for recreational use. . In the early 1980s this old bridge was no longer used for vehicular traffic when the new bridge was constructed. Originally budgeted as a four-year, $33 million project, the final expenditure increased to $43 million because of the enormous scope of work necessary. Ghost Fishing: The Silent Killer. MARATHON (CBSMiami/FKNB) - A section of the historic Old Seven Mile Bridge, paralleling the Florida Keys Overseas Highway, reopened Wednesday in the Middle Keys so residents and visitors can once again use it for cycling, walking, running, rollerblading, watching sunrises and sunsets and to access Pigeon Key. No unfortunately it is still closed for construction and will be for many months yet. The older bridge, originally known as the Knights Key-Pigeon Key-Moser Channel-Pacet Channel Bridge, was constructed from 1909 to 1912 under the direction of Henry Flagler and Clarence S. Coe as part of the Florida East Coast Railway 's Key West Extension, also known as the Overseas Railroad . You can tie up to the dock if you bring your own boat. Restoration work included structural steel and spalling and bridge joint system repairs; new decking, pedestrian and bicycle handrails; and other physical enhancementsto make the 2.2-mile span safer for recreational use. Take as many photos as you can, soak in the tropical South Florida sun, stop and take breaks if you feel like it youre truly on island time when the only other traffic is fellow pedestrians, cyclists and the occasional tram. Chief among the original bridges is the Old Seven Mile Bridge, a weathered expanse of majestic arches and cracked roadway that parallels the new bridge though its center span has been removed to allow boat traffic. The bridge re-opened after restoration on 1-12-2022. Resources for planning a Florida Keys vacation, Other nearby things to do in the Upper and Middle Keys. The famous writer and Keys fanJohn Dos Passoslater called the trip, in a letter to his friend Ernest Hemingway, "a dream journey. And while many travelers stayed in Key Westeven before the building of the railway, it was Florida's largest city, a thriving port of 20,000 soulsothers would hop directly onto a steamer bound for Havana. Creatures from dolphins to sting rays to sharks have been spotted, as well as endangered Florida sea turtles and a wide variety of tropical fish. A total of 25,000 tons of steel had been used. Nicknamed Old Seven, the bridge was built as part of railroad magnate Henry Flaglers Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that was completed in January 1912, connecting the Keys with each other and mainland Florida for the first time. But in 2022, McKinnon expects numbers to dwarf the old figure. (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau). Traffic waiting for the open swing span over Moser Channel. Once known as the Knights Key Bridge, the 'old' Seven Mile Bridge is no longer used for vehicular traffic but is instead a pier and pedestrian/cyclist route that just reopened as of January 2022 after extensive renovations. When I met Kelly McKinnon, one the island's four full-time resident staff and executive director of the Pigeon Key Foundation, the nonprofit that oversees the repair of tropical wear and tear and damage from 2017s Hurricane Irma, at the foot of the access bridge, he assures me, "It's not always so sleepy here." : Che, Fidel and the Improbable Revolution that Changed World History,The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games and Napoleon's Privates: 2500 Years of History Unzipped. The reopening of Old Seven in January brought a flood of eager locals from around the Keys who had impatiently awaited the work's completion. It was such a cool experience! "It's something that we've been able to get together and collaborate with the city of Marathon, with the state of Florida, and get it rehabbed like it is, and it's been a great project.". By using this site, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy. While most of these relics have been off-limits for decades, one 2.2 mile section of the Seven Mile Bridge from Marathon to Pigeon Key, about two-thirds of the way along the route at Mile Marker 45, continued to hold a beloved place in the hearts of Key residents. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Via an Acadia GEM, a lightweight electric vehicle that is not just a clean, energy-efficient way to tour the beloved park, its a way to take. The retired Old Seven became a very popular recreation area and appeared in many films. A worm has been revived after 46,000 years in the Siberian permafrost, Florida Native Butterfly Society closes its doors in Fort Myers, Woman arrested for hit & run crash that seriously injured ATV rider, Missing 77-year-old Lehigh Acres woman found dead, Naples investor charged in $35 million Ponzi scheme that targeted elderly church members, Scientist are seeing an increase of sharks, From FSW to the Mighty Mussels, Rayden Sierra uses coaching position to mentor international players, Bokeelia Fishing Pier announces reopening, Record-breaking 19-foot python dissected by FGCU. Throngs were gathered at Mallory Square to watch the stunning sunset, one of Key West's daily tourist rituals. A Short History of the Old Seven Mile Bridge - Pigeon Key The bridge carries the Florida Keys aqueduct, supplying water to points west, as well as fiber optic cables, providing telecommunications to and from the lower Keys.[5]. There is one in Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and Key West. Google top things to do in Key Largo, and youll be served up a whole slew of results indicating, Hes been called the Adirondack guide nonpareil byForbes Life Magazine for good reason. He added that a new 60-passenger tram to take visitors back and forth to Pigeon Key is expected to be operational this spring. However, the trip could be easily customized, depending on the time. There was an explosion at the turnstile (for boat passage) on the original overseas highway. Any use or republication without written permission is strictly forbidden. The compact, ornate wooden structure, once part of the last rail station, is painted a tasteful lemon, and nearby is a bronze statue of the elderly rail magnate sitting with a cane on a bench. We saw a sea turtle, several sting rays (one was over 5 feet), and lots of sea birds. The bridge will reopen to the public Wednesday, Jan. 12. Just as it was when it was first built, the Old Seven Mile Bridge is a sensation. In January of 1912, the tail end of the Gilded Age, travelers could flee the northeastern winter by heading to New York's Penn Station and purchasing a luxury sleeping compartment on the Havana Special train. Well signed. The bridge runs arrow-straight across the water, 16 to 18 feet above the waves, depending on the tides, with freshly paved bike and pedestrian lanes and newly reinforced handrails. Old Seven has appeared in several films, most famously the 1994True Lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger, where the old bridge is shown being destroyed by missile strikes. There, the beachfront Isla Bella Resort was decorated with famous prints of Florida birds by the pioneering artistand regular Keys visitor in the 1830sJohn James Audubon. The old bridge originally was part of Henry Flagler's Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that was completed in 1912. Welcome to South Florida Reporter, your go-to source for news and information for the Sunshine State. Historic Old Seven Mile Bridge reopens in Florida Keys This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Great views from on the bridge as you walk the 2 miles to Pigeon Cay. Stepping onto Old Seven, I was enveloped in sunshine and slapped with fresh salt air. Anyone who drives the stretch from Miami to Key West is bound to be mystified by the ghostly remains of the old railway. Nope, and they are very much needed. Privacy Statement Flaglers Overseas Railroad, the first land route from Miami to Key West when it opened in 1912, was a financial failure and then it became a downright disaster. (His Palm Beach mansion remains as a museum; downtown Miami's 12th Street, where he founded the city's first hotel, is now Flagler Street/)His Florida East Coast Railroad (FEC) opened up the state to the rest of the U.S. in the 1890s. You can fish from the park at the base of the bridge on the bay side. A favorite among experienced divers as one of Marathon's challenging drift dives, the Marathon Reef site was created in July 1982, shortly after a then-new Seven Mile Bridge opened to carry traffic. As for dolphins, that is a little more unpredictable. There is not even a photo of him in one of the houses on the little island. 2321. We had planned to bike but our hotel had limited bikes so we walked the bridge to Pigeon Key instead. Shiny new ones safely line the bridge, but on the outer side are the rusting rails of the original Flagler railroad. There are two bridges in this location. Theres about a five-foot lane for bikes and the bridge is mostly flat, with about one-mile at the center elevated, according to a bicyclist who has written about it. Its 35 parking spaces are nearly always full, even on weekdays, with cars often waiting for someone to leave. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. We picked up as much trash along the way as we could but could've used bags and bags to get it all. How many times my great grandparents, grandparents and parents traveled over this bridge was emotional as going back in time. At that time, 4,500 tons of concrete and steel debris taken from the center swing span of the Old Seven Mile Bridge, also called the Moser Channel .
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