Flagler's Folly! Built in 1912 as part of Henry Flagler's effort to connect Key West to the mainland by railroad. The bridge operated for 23 years. After the destructive 1935 Labor Day Hurricane that killed over 400 people, most of them workers being rescued by train. The now bankrupt Florida East
Coast Railroad could not repair the line and the bridge sat dormant. In 1938 a long planned road connection repurposed the Railroad's Seven Mile and Bahia Honda Bridges. Seven Mile Bridge was easier to convert as it was concrete arches and girders. Due to Bahia Honda being a truss bridge, Engineers had to come up with a different solution. It was decided that they would instead lay a road deck on top of the existing structure and repurpose the rails for the railings. The bridge was closed to cars in 1972 after the new Overseas Highway opened. Now the bridge rusting away, has sections removed so pedestrians cant access it. Now in ruins, its used by nesting sea birds and a reminder of the Florida Keys wild past.
