Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: The tee-beam bridge at this location carried traffic southbound on US-1 over the Florida East Coast Railway and Old Dixie Highway beginning in 1927. The tee-beam design, constructed from cast-in-place concrete beams and reinforced steel running lengthwise along the bottom, was one of the most popular bridge types in the 1920s and 1930s. The Florida State Road Department was authorized in 1923 to complete a system of roads designated by the state legislature to help encourage tourism, which included the construction of US-1 as a major north-south route through Florida. This tee-beam bridge was the first US-1 bridge constructed by the Florida State Road Department in Indian River County. It was the second of six bridges built in the 1920s along US-1 in Florida. The durable tee-beam bridge was easy and cost-effective to build. This bridge was also important for its great length for a tee-beam bridge, which totaled 288 feet. The bridge at this location was a significant example from the 1920s, a decade from which historic bridges are increasingly rare. It was replaced in 2014.