Can you walk the 7 Mile Bridge in Key West?
Anyone can walk the Mile Bridge because I often use it for my morning walk routine.
Can You Walk the 7 Mile Bridge in Florida?
The reopened section of the Old 7 Mile Bridge is for pedestrians, bikes, roller bladders, and more.
The two-in-one 7 Mile Bridge is iconic
.
It has been the connection between the Middle and Lower Keys.
The new side of the bridge is for vehicles, while the old section has been reconstructed for pedestrians.
The bridge is nice for taking pictures.
Driving through this bridge is uneventful, but many activities and sights await you around it.
There are hidden gems and quirky, offbeat things to draw your attention.
No matter what you cross the bridge with, be it a bike, foot, or car, it makes no difference, the experience you will get will be memorable.
The 7 Mile Bridge remains the best way to travel through the Keys and an indelible part of the local history of the keys of Florida.
Can you walk the 7 Mile Bridge in Florida?
Yes, there is a place
along the Old 7 Mile Bridge where locals and visitors to the Keys
go cycling, walking, running, rollerblading, and watching sunrises and sunsets.
This spot parallels the Overseas Highway of the Florida Keys in the Middle Keys.
The 2.
2-mile-long bridge is the most convenient way of getting to the historic Pigeon Key.
Pigeon Key is a small Island, and you will see it below the Old 7 Mile Bridge.
About 400 railway workers once lived on this key.
Can you walk the 7 Mile Bridge in Florida?
Renovation of the railroad started in 2017 and gulped as much as $44 million.
The project was a part of an agreement between the Keys’ Monroe County, Marathon municipal officials,
and the Florida
Department of Transportation for the financing of the restoration and maintenance of the old bridge.
The agreement was to last for 30 years and had a budget of $77 million.
The work specifications for the restoration included structural steel, bridge joint system repairs, and other contingent physical enhancements that will make the bridge safe for use.
The Florida Department of Transportation managers said that getting the bridge back to what it was originally was the challenge of the project.
The old railroad was converted for use by automobiles in 1938.
The new 7 Mile Bridge, although the actual length is 6.
79 miles was built beside the old bridge.
The steel swing span of the old bridge that facilitated marine traffic was removed.
The old 7 Mile Bridge later became a popular recreation center.
A year before the bridge was shut down, about five years ago, about a quarter of a million people trooped out to use this bridge, so said Kelly McKinnon, executive director of the Pigeon Key Foundation.
The spot became similar to a linear park.
People come there for recreational activities like biking, walking, cycling, running, and watching marine life like turtles, sharks, rays, and tarpon.
Many people visited this place with their families to have the wonderful experience it offered.
Pigeon Key has become a historical and educational center with its railroad museum.
There are structures in this Key that are as old as Flagler’s era, which was in the early 1900s when the access bridge was built.
Things that make the Old 7 Mile Bridge special
The old bridge was nicknamed Old 7 and the Eighth
Wonder of the World
.
The history of the bridge and its beauty are the two reasons that made it insignificant in the Florida Keys.
Last January we rode our bike across the bridge many times.
On one of the rides, we stopped to pip into the water below.
We saw three huge spotted rays on one side of the water.
At the other spot, we saw a sea turtle and a large shark with its young ones.
We were not the only people watching.
We saw many other people as they fed their eyes from the top of the bridge.
Visiting the Old 7 Mile Bridge
It is nice to stop over at Old 7 as you visit the Florida Keys, but parking space is the problem.
The small parking lot there is always full.
For this reason, you will not be allowed to stay long so that other people will have the opportunity to take their turn.
If you come by bicycle, you can park on the northern side of the bridge and take a bike trail on the side of the bay to the bridge.
The street parking space on the other side of US 1 is very small.
You will see it close to the Sunset Grille and Raw Bar.
The scenic walkway under the main highway that separates the restaurant and the park at the base of the old bridge makes the parking space viable.
You can go into the Sunset Grille to have a meal before walking on the bridge.
Pigeon Key has not been fully understood.
The size of Island is small but rich in history.
It is located at the center of the Old 7 Mile Bridge.
I had always driven across this Island for years but have been unable to explore it for lack of access.
I have all these while imagining what this small Island may feature.
I have always looked out through my car window down to the Island to see if I could have clues about what makes it tick.
I never knew there was a museum on the Island until late.
To access the Island, you either walk 2.
2 miles of the old bridge or take a boat.
I was so excited that I chose to first visit the Islands museum.
We wanted to get the best from the Island and the bridge, so, we decided we
should first take a boat to the Island, explore it and take a boat back to the bridge
.
FAQs
Is 7 Mile Bridge Open for walking?
Yes, The 7 Mile Bridge was opened to traffic on 1-12-2022 after it was rehabilitated.
The bridge is about 2.
2 miles long and open to walking, bikes, and rollerblades.
It is the access to Pigeon
Key and gives you an amazing view of the environment as you bike or walk
through.
The most
popular name in the Florida
Keys is Henry Flagler, who built the iconic Oversea Railway in the early 1900s.
How far can you walk on the 7 Mile Bridge?
You can drive 2.
2 miles long because The old
7 Mile Bridge
is about 2.
2 miles long.
What is the speed limit on the 7-mile bridge in Key West?
It thrills to drive across this spot, but do not speed above 45mph.
It is the speed limit applicable in many places in US 1.
The 7 Mile Bridge links Marathon with the Lower Keys and is the highest, longest, and most spectacular crossing on the
7 Mile Bridge
.