Why is there a gap in the 7 Mile bridge?

Fun Bridge Facts Does the large hole in the bridge next to Pigeon Key have you wondering? It used to be a swing bridge to pass boats through and now that the bridge no longer operates, there is a gigantic hole! The actual length of the bridge is technically only 6.765-miles long - not seven!



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For 44 years, until the adjoining new bridge opened in 1982, the Old Seven Mile Bridge was the only road cars could take to Key West. It was 22 feet wide, a single lane in each direction with no shoulder at all.

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It's quite a famous bridge having appeared in a lot of movies, with a starring role in action thrillers like Licence to Kill, True Lies, The Haunted Mansion, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Mission Impossible III, I Am Number Four and Leverage. The Florida Keys' Seven Mile Bridge looks as impressive on film as it does in real life.

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Generally, the speed limit is 55 mph.

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The Old Seven was originally constructed in early 1900 as part of Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway's Key West Extension, also known as the Overseas Railroad. In the early 1980's this old bridge was no longer used for vehicular traffic when the new bridge was constructed.

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What happened to the old 7 Mile Bridge? The old 7 Mile Bridge was destroyed by a hurricane in 1935.

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Near the center, the bridge rises in an arc to provide 65-foot (20 m)-high clearance for boat passage. The remainder of the bridge is considerably closer to the water surface.

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