Sunday, December 14, 2014

Imagine Crossing The Bahia Honda Bridge Driving to Key West


     The Bahia Honda Bridge is an abandoned and rapidly deteriorating  railroad bridge at Bahia Honda State Park in the  Florida Keys.  The derelict  bridge connecting Bahia Honda Key with Spanish Harbor Key.   It was originally part of the Overseas Railway that the state of Florida purchased from the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) after the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane.  It was converted for automobile use as part of the construction of the Overseas Highway in 1938.   The bridge was part of the Overseas Highway until its replacement Bahia Honda Bridge was opened in 1972.   Two spans of the bridge were removed to accommodate boat traffic later and form the water entrance to the Bahia Honda Marina.  I hear people being scared of crossing the now existing bridges, but can you imagine crossing this one?  ;o)
 
Road Deck of the Bahia Honda Bridge today, note the painted centerlines still there.
 

2 comments:

  1. www.youtube.com/watch?v=benNptPSDng&t=857s

    Come on...Take a ride!!
    This video is a cool and unique view of the Florida Keys, Bahia Honda State Park and the awe inspiring, astounding power of Mother Nature! Traversing the Park on bike it shows a side by side, before and after comparison of most areas of the park accessible by a typical visitor. In the span of just a few hours, the landscape of the park was changed, probably forever. The pre-Irma video was taken 6 months before Irma, early March 2017. The post-Irma video was shot 6 months after in early March 2018. Looking at photos of the park shortly after the hurricane it is awesome to see how much has already been accomplished by the Park system as far as the rehab... with much more soon to come. Even after the Irma, Bahia Honda is still one of the most naturally beautiful State Parks in the entire country. The fastest way for recovery is for you to visit....Don't hesitate, a little bit beat up and bruised but it's all still here.

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