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Summary
Florida Keys visitors and residents are again cycling, walking, running, rollerblading and watching sunrises and sunsets along a section of the famed Old Seven Mile Bridge that parallels the Florida Keys Overseas Highway in the Middle Keys.
Old Seven Mile Bridge Reopens
Visitors and residents bicycle and walk on the Florida Keys’ Old Seven Mile Bridge Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, in Marathon, Fla. The 110-year-old span formally opened Wednesday after a ceremony marked the completion of a four-year, $44 million restoration project. The old bridge originally was part of Henry Flagler’s Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that was completed in 1912. It later became the centerpiece of the Florida Keys Overseas Highway, but was replaced in 1982 with a new span. The old bridge is closed to vehicles but open to pedestrians and bicycles. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)
Old Seven Mile Bridge Reopening - 05
In this Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Celeste Trzcinski, left, a tour guide at Pigeon Key, shows visitors a portion of a museum that chronicles the building of the Old Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys. The historic bridge to Pigeon Key has undergone a 4.25-year, $44 million restoration effort and is to reopen Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, to pedestrians, bicyclists, anglers and visitors to Pigeon Key. The old bridge originally was part of Henry Flagler’s Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that was completed in 1912. The railroad ceased operations in 1935 and was converted into a highway that opened in 1938. In 1982 construction was completed on a new Seven Mile Bridge that continues to carry motor vehicles between the South Florida mainland throughout the Keys to Key West. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)
Old Seven Mile Bridge Reopening - 04
In this Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, photo, Kelly McKinnon, executive director of the Pigeon Key Foundation, drives a cart on the Old Seven Mile Bridge. The historic bridge has undergone a 4.25-year, $44 million restoration effort and is to reopen Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, to pedestrians, bicyclists, anglers and visitors to Pigeon Key. The old bridge originally was part of Henry Flagler’s Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that was completed in 1912. The railroad ceased operations in 1935 and was converted into a highway that opened in 1938. In 1982 construction was completed on a new Seven Mile Bridge, left, that continues to carry motor vehicles between the South Florida mainland throughout the Keys to Key West. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)
Old Seven Mile Bridge Reopens
Visitors and residents bicycle and walk on the Florida Keys’ Old Seven Mile Bridge Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, in Marathon, Fla. The 110-year-old span formally opened Wednesday after a ceremony marked the completion of a four-year, $44 million restoration project. The old bridge originally was part of Henry Flagler’s Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that was completed in 1912. It later became the centerpiece of the Florida Keys Overseas Highway, but was replaced in 1982 with a new span. The old bridge is closed to vehicles but open to pedestrians and bicycles. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)
Old Seven Mile Bridge Reopening - 03
This Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, photo shows the restored Old Seven Mile Bridge ready for its Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, reopening to pedestrians, bicyclists, anglers and visitors to Pigeon Key. The old bridge originally was part of Henry Flagler’s Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that was completed in 1912. The railroad ceased operations in 1935 and was converted into a highway that opened in 1938. In 1982 construction was completed on a new Seven Mile Bridge that continues to carry motor vehicles between the South Florida mainland throughout the Keys to Key West. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)
Seven Mile Bridges
Old Seven Mile Bridge Reopening - 01
This Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, drone aerial photo shows the Old Seven Mile Bridge ready for its Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, reopening to pedestrians, bicyclists, anglers and visitors to Pigeon Key (island shown in photo). The old bridge originally was part of Henry Flagler’s Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad that was completed in 1912. The railroad ceased operations in 1935 and was converted into a highway that opened in 1938. In 1982 construction was completed on a new Seven Mile Bridge, behind, that continues to carry motor vehicles between the South Florida mainland throughout the Keys to Key West. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY (Andy Newman/Florida Keys News Bureau/HO)
MARATHON, Florida Keys - Florida Keys visitors and residents are again cycling, walking, running, rollerblading and watching sunrises and sunsets along a section of the famed Old Seven Mile Bridge that parallels the Florida Keys Overseas Highway in the Middle Keys.
Nicknamed "Old Seven," the oft-photographed 2.2-mile span reopened Jan. 12, 2022, to pedestrian recreation. The reopening took place some 110 years after the bridge's original debut as the centerpiece of railroad magnate Henry Flagler's Florida Keys Over-Sea Railroad, which connected the Keys with each other and mainland Florida for the first time.
The 2.2-mile span serves as the gateway to historic Pigeon Key, a tiny island nestled beneath the "Old Seven" that was once home to about 400 workers constructing the railroad.
Begun in 2017, the $44 million renovation is part of a 30-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 landmark's 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.
A significant challenge of the project was to restore the historic bridge to the same aesthetic fabric as the original, according to project managers with the Florida Department of Transportation.
In 1938, the original railroad bridge was converted to carry automobiles. In 1982, the new Seven Mile Bridge (actually 6.79 miles long and one of the world's longest segmental bridges) debuted alongside the historic one and the old bridge's steel swing span, which had facilitated marine traffic, was removed.
The retired "Old Seven" evolved primarily into a recreation area that proved extremely popular.
"Nearly five years ago now, when they did close down the bridge, that year prior nearly a quarter of a million people came out to use this bridge," said Kelly McKinnon, executive director of the Pigeon Key Foundation. "It really is more of a linear park, where people can come out and recreate and go biking, walking, cycling, running, take a look at all the marine resources whether it be spotting turtles, sharks, rays, tarpon ... it's just an unbelievable experience for individuals and families to come out and take advantage of."
Today Pigeon Key serves as a historic and educational center, with a railroad museum and original structures that date back to the early 1900s Flagler era, when the bridge leading out to it was being built.
"As you come onto Pigeon Key, you really do step back in time," McKinnon said. "It's fantastic to walk around, see these original structures, be on the same ground that these men 100-plus years ago were on."
A new 60-passenger tram to take visitors back and forth to Pigeon Key is expected to be operational this spring.
Although vehicular traffic on the restored bridge is prohibited, an adjacent parking lot has been modified to accommodate up to 35 parked vehicles.
Florida Keys visitor information: fla-keys.com or 1-800-FLA-KEYS
Marathon visitor information: fla-keys.com/marathon or 1-800-262-7284
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