11/22/2025
The dream of the Bahia Honda Bridge began in 1878, when Henry Flagler took his first trip to Florida. Flagler imagined moving East Florida from backwater region to tourists’ paradise, sparking the onset of a radical economic transformation.
The Bahia Honda railroad bridge was built by Henry Flagler as part of the FEC's Overseas Railroad. Opened in 1912, Flagler funded the railway construction between Miami and Key West using his own personal funds.
The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 destroyed much of the line, and FEC sought abandonment. It was purchased by the state of Florida and converted for highway use in 1938. Rather than rebuilding the bridge, the top of the structure was redecked for use as the Overseas Highway (the existing deck inside the truss was too narrow for vehicular traffic).
A new four-lane bridge was built and opened in 1972, a few hundred yards north of the old bridge, replacing the former route of US-1. Two of the truss spans have been removed. One near the east end to allow boat traffic to pass through Bahia Honda Channel without the danger of falling debris from the old bridge; the other at the westernmost end to prevent pedestrians from accessing unsafe parts of the bridge.
It is a misconception the trusses were removed in order to facilitate traffic for boats needing higher vertical clearance, as the new bridge has roughly the same vertical clearance of about 20 feet.
The original bridge has fallen into a state of disrepair; signs have been posted on the bridge warning boat traffic to watch for falling debris, but all of the sections have remained standing (not counting the two that were removed).
The easternmost section remains open to pedestrian traffic and is maintained by Bahia Honda State Park, as the bridge provides a scenic overview of the area for visitors.
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