The Overseas Highway: A Bridge To Cross: Florida Keys

The Overseas Highway is an engineering marvel - a 113-mile road connecting the Florida Keys to the mainland, built atop the remains of an early 20th-century railroad project considered the "Eighth Wonder of the World."

The Overseas Highway, stretching for 113 miles and seemingly floating above the water, can be considered one of the most stunning highways in the United States – connecting the Florida Keys to the mainland. This wonderful engineering creation constructed in 1938 was mainly used to transform this erstwhile group of islands from being out of bounds to a hub for tourism. 

The Overseas Highway can be traced back to the early twentieth-century vision of Henry Morrison Flagler, who was one of the founders of Standard Oil. With this in mind, Flagler established railroads and ostentatious hotels in different parts of Florida to boost tourism in the state. He wanted to go beyond that and go to Key West. 

In 1905-1912 Flagler’s construction crew constructed what many hold as the eighth wonder of the world – the Overseas Railroad which measured 156 miles, mostly on trestles over sea, linking Key West with the mainland. The construction was monumentally difficult as they had to suffer through hurricanes, and tropical heat and did not have the facilities of heavy equipment. Over 4,000 males participated in the hammering of pilings into the ocean floor to hold up the rail bridges. 

The railroad continued its operation for 23 years up until the hurricane destroyed most of the line in 1935. Yet, the strong bridges were still there. The U. S.  government then transferred the remaining rail bridges into the Overseas Highway by 1938 through the application of asphalt to enhance the car traffic. At present, 5 million vehicles travel on this highway. 

Today, the Overseas Highway really can be described as one of the most scenic, this is because it includes long bridges across aqua blue waters and playful dolphins. Out of the twenty railroad bridges that were built by the Florida East Coast Construction Council led by Flagler, twenty of them are still in operation and are used for moving automobiles across the island chain. The drive terminates at Key West, a city situated in Florida, which is the southernmost point of the continental United States, and only 90 miles away from Cuba. 

This engineering masterpiece can be explored at the Keys History & Discovery Center in Islamorada and the Sails to Rails Museum in Key West. Serving as the home for railroad construction workers over one hundred years ago, Pigeon Key allows anyone to learn about the harsh living conditions of workers while constructing the “Eighth Wonder of the World.

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Visiting the Overseas Highway makes me appreciate the spirit of people and their ability to overcome natural challenges. It made the previously uninhabited and inaccessible Florida Keys a known tourist destination thanks to the bridges joining the islands.