Between 1938 and 1954, the Overseas Highway operated as a toll road, charging $1 for a car and driver—about $18 today—and 25 cents for each extra passenger. Built atop the remnants of the hurricane-damaged Overseas Railroad, the highway was funded through a Public Works Administration loan and toll bonds, creating jobs and reconnecting the isolated Keys to the mainland. Once the bonds were repaid, tolls were lifted on April 15, 1954, and locals successfully fought to keep the name “Overseas High

Hike Old Bahia Honda Bridge Trail

A Promo video for the Florida Keys featuring the Overseas Hywy from Islamorada to Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge. The Seven Mile Bride actually is only 6.79 miles long. The Hywy first opened in 1928 but there was a 41 mile gap where you needed a ferry to cross over. After the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 damaged the Overseas Railroad, the bridges were retrofitted with new concrete surface for automobile use. In 1938 it opened as Highway 1 and connected Key West to the mainland. | Celebrations