Florida has plans to replace the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys. If the state follows through, the construction of a new span would be the third Seven Mile Bridge.
According to plans, a new bridge wouldn’t be ready to carry cars across the water until 2030.
We don’t know the details yet about what a new bridge will look like and what will happen to the current one. As for the current bridge you may have traveled across on the way to Key West, here are some things to know:
When did the Seven Mile Bridge open?
The bridge opened in 1982.
How high is the bridge?
It’s 65 feet high at the arc to allow for boat clearance.
Is the Seven Mile Bridge really seven miles?
Despite its name, the bridge is actually 6.79 miles long. The second longest is the Long Key Bridge, at 2.3 miles.
What is the speed limit?
Generally, the speed limit is 55 mph.
What if my car breaks down on the bridge?
There are no call boxes or emergency call stations on the Seven Mile Bridge or on the rest of the Overseas Highway. You’ll need to make emergency calls on your cellphone.
What else does the bridge carry besides cars?
The freshwater pipeline is built into the bridge, carrying supply from the mainland to the Keys. The water pipeline built to replace a corroded 1941 line built by the Navy. The new pipeline came with a $63 million construction bill, according to Miami Herald archives.
How did the construction come to be?
The Seven Mile Bridge was at the heart of Florida’s eight-year, $200 million program to replace 37 of the 44 bridges that connect the Keys with the mainland. The new bridge was made to be nearly 50 percent wider than the old bridge, increasing the safety.
To construct the concrete span, the state Department of Transportation used a “segmental” technique designed by French engineer Jean Muller in 1962, according to Miami Herald archives.
Emergencies on the bridge
Last October, a man driving a stolen pickup truck crashed head-on into an ambulance on the island chain’s longest bridge. When there’s a crash on the bridge, officers can’t just divert the traffic to other lanes or an alternative route. The bridge shuts down. That could mean hours-long traffic jams, with cars backed up for miles in both directions.
Seven Mile Bridge Run
One of the biggest Keys events of the year happens on the bridge: The Seven Mile Bridge Run. About 1,000 runners from across the globe take part. “It is one of the most visible events the Keys have,” Andy Newman, who’s in charge of public relations for the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, said last year.
“It’s so gorgeous with all the people,” he said. “Usually, the bridge is basking in the sunlight because it’s early in the morning,” he said. “You have the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other.”
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