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Card Sound Bridge
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Card Sound Bridge
Card Sound Bridge is a high-rise toll causeway connecting southern Miami-Dade County and northern Monroe County. It is one of only two ways that motorists can leave or enter the Florida Keys (the other is U.S. Route 1). The toll for two-axle automobiles is $2.13 for two-axle vehicles: cars, pickup trucks or motorcycles. $4.08 for three axles. $1.35 per each additional axle if paid via SunPass. The prior toll plaza was demolished during Hurricane Matthew and has been replaced with a toll-by-plate plaza. The toll fee will be charged by plate automatically and sent via the mail to the address on the vehicle registration. The cashless all-electronic tolling system replaced the previous staffed toll booth on October 20, 2018. The toll fee is waived upon evacuating the Keys for hurricanes or in instances in which US 1 is impassable.
The primary responsibility for operating Card Sound Bridge lies with Monroe County, but maintenance of the bridge itself is shared between Monroe County and the Florida Department of Transportation. The bridge itself is on Card Sound Road, constructed by then-Dade County in 1926 for the original Card Sound Bridge. Toll employees are locals, living in a very small town along Card Sound Road on the north side of the bridge, and according to toll operators, a portion of the proceeds from the toll go to fund parts of their community.[citation needed] Effective August, 2017, the toll booth was closed and all employees were laid off. In December, 2017, the toll booth was removed in preparation for an automated toll booth to be installed in the spring of 2018. This is expected to save Monroe county approximately $300,000 per year in employee wages.
Like the Overseas Highway, the history of Card Sound Bridge begins with the Overseas Railway—although at no time was the bridge part of Henry M. Flagler's plans. The concept of an Overseas Highway (then called "Overseas Road") began with the Miami Motor Club in 1921. At that time, southern Florida was undergoing a land boom, and the club wanted to attract new tourists to an easily reached fishing area. In addition, the real estate interests wanted access to thousands of acres of wilderness in the Upper Keys to develop and sell.
Commissioners from Dade and Monroe Counties agreed to build a highway connecting Florida City to Key Largo. They preferred to build it alongside the Overseas Railroad, which was completed in 1912; commercial interests and motorists attending the joint meeting expressed a preference for a road extending to the southeast, to Card Sound, instead. In 1922, Monroe County residents approved the issuance of $300,000 of bonds for a new bridge (equivalent to $4.4 million in 2024); under an agreement with their Monroe brethren, Dade County officials would oversee the construction of an 11-mile-long (18 km) Card Sound Road to the wooden drawbridge.
Construction of both the road and the drawbridge went slowly. The money ran out in 1925 and Monroe County voters were asked to approve the issuance of $2.6 million in bonds in early 1926 (equivalent to $36.8 million in 2024). The vote—passing the measure with only two dissenting votes—enabled construction to continue.
The swing-span drawbridge and road were both nearly ready for opening when, on September 18, 1926, a major hurricane seriously damaged both. The bridge was redesigned and rebuilt, raising the water clearance from five feet to nine feet to accommodate storm surge. On January 25, 1928, the 2,800-foot (850 m) wooden Card Sound Bridge was opened to traffic.
When Card Sound Bridge was opened, the State Road Department (the predecessor to the Florida Department of Transportation), extended the State Road 4A designation from downtown Homestead to Key West (prior to this, SR 4A went from the intersection of present-day U.S. Route 1 and US 41 in Miami to Homestead), even though there was still a 40-mile (64 km) gap in the road between Lower Matecumbe Key and No Name Key.
After the Great Labor Day Hurricane destroyed sections of the Overseas Railroad on September 3, 1935, the State of Florida bought the remnants for $640,000 and proceeded to construct road bridges on top of the railroad trestles. The "Overseas Highway" was completed and opened (as a toll road) on March 29, 1938. The following year, US 1 was extended from Miami over Card Sound to Key West.
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Card Sound Bridge
Card Sound Bridge is a high-rise toll causeway connecting southern Miami-Dade County and northern Monroe County. It is one of only two ways that motorists can leave or enter the Florida Keys (the other is U.S. Route 1). The toll for two-axle automobiles is $2.13 for two-axle vehicles: cars, pickup trucks or motorcycles. $4.08 for three axles. $1.35 per each additional axle if paid via SunPass. The prior toll plaza was demolished during Hurricane Matthew and has been replaced with a toll-by-plate plaza. The toll fee will be charged by plate automatically and sent via the mail to the address on the vehicle registration. The cashless all-electronic tolling system replaced the previous staffed toll booth on October 20, 2018. The toll fee is waived upon evacuating the Keys for hurricanes or in instances in which US 1 is impassable.
The primary responsibility for operating Card Sound Bridge lies with Monroe County, but maintenance of the bridge itself is shared between Monroe County and the Florida Department of Transportation. The bridge itself is on Card Sound Road, constructed by then-Dade County in 1926 for the original Card Sound Bridge. Toll employees are locals, living in a very small town along Card Sound Road on the north side of the bridge, and according to toll operators, a portion of the proceeds from the toll go to fund parts of their community.[citation needed] Effective August, 2017, the toll booth was closed and all employees were laid off. In December, 2017, the toll booth was removed in preparation for an automated toll booth to be installed in the spring of 2018. This is expected to save Monroe county approximately $300,000 per year in employee wages.
Like the Overseas Highway, the history of Card Sound Bridge begins with the Overseas Railway—although at no time was the bridge part of Henry M. Flagler's plans. The concept of an Overseas Highway (then called "Overseas Road") began with the Miami Motor Club in 1921. At that time, southern Florida was undergoing a land boom, and the club wanted to attract new tourists to an easily reached fishing area. In addition, the real estate interests wanted access to thousands of acres of wilderness in the Upper Keys to develop and sell.
Commissioners from Dade and Monroe Counties agreed to build a highway connecting Florida City to Key Largo. They preferred to build it alongside the Overseas Railroad, which was completed in 1912; commercial interests and motorists attending the joint meeting expressed a preference for a road extending to the southeast, to Card Sound, instead. In 1922, Monroe County residents approved the issuance of $300,000 of bonds for a new bridge (equivalent to $4.4 million in 2024); under an agreement with their Monroe brethren, Dade County officials would oversee the construction of an 11-mile-long (18 km) Card Sound Road to the wooden drawbridge.
Construction of both the road and the drawbridge went slowly. The money ran out in 1925 and Monroe County voters were asked to approve the issuance of $2.6 million in bonds in early 1926 (equivalent to $36.8 million in 2024). The vote—passing the measure with only two dissenting votes—enabled construction to continue.
The swing-span drawbridge and road were both nearly ready for opening when, on September 18, 1926, a major hurricane seriously damaged both. The bridge was redesigned and rebuilt, raising the water clearance from five feet to nine feet to accommodate storm surge. On January 25, 1928, the 2,800-foot (850 m) wooden Card Sound Bridge was opened to traffic.
When Card Sound Bridge was opened, the State Road Department (the predecessor to the Florida Department of Transportation), extended the State Road 4A designation from downtown Homestead to Key West (prior to this, SR 4A went from the intersection of present-day U.S. Route 1 and US 41 in Miami to Homestead), even though there was still a 40-mile (64 km) gap in the road between Lower Matecumbe Key and No Name Key.
After the Great Labor Day Hurricane destroyed sections of the Overseas Railroad on September 3, 1935, the State of Florida bought the remnants for $640,000 and proceeded to construct road bridges on top of the railroad trestles. The "Overseas Highway" was completed and opened (as a toll road) on March 29, 1938. The following year, US 1 was extended from Miami over Card Sound to Key West.
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