We had a few hours in the morning before Kat had to get to the airport so we spent the morning at Bahia Honda State Park. Bahia Honda means deep bay in Spanish and the channel on the west end is one of the deepest natural channels in the Keys.
While at the park, Randy and Kat explored part of the old Bahia Honda Railroad bridge that was originallly built by Henry Flagler. The line officially opened on January 22, 1912, as part of the Overseas Railroad to Key West. There were 43 bridges built linking mainland Florida to Key West. This bridge was one of the most difficult to build because of the 24′ depth of the water. On September 2, 1935, a CAT 5 hurricane, called the Labor Day Hurricane destroyed much of the train tracks; killing hundreds of WWI veterans that were working on another of the railroad bridges for this WPA project. I found several interesting articles about the railroad and the hurricane.
- From the National Geographic website: https://relay.nationalgeographic.com/proxy/distribution/public/amp/2017/09/irma-most-intense-hurricane-florida-keys-1935-history
2) The Last Train to Key West https://owlcation.com/humanities/lasttrain
After the hurricane, the owners sold the Railroad and its right-of-way to the state of Florida for approximately $640,000. The railroad bed was converted for automobile use by covering with asphalt and converted into the Overseas Highway. Because the existing opening between the steel beams on the Bahia Honda Bridge were too narrow for vehicles, the top of the structure was redecked for vehicles. This bridge was used until a modern four-lane bridge was built. I have read conflicting dates of either 1972 or 1980 as the date when the new bridge was opened. After the new bridge was opened, two sections of the old bridge were removed to accommodate taller boats. Part of the bridge can be accessed from the Bahia Honda State Park, but because of its deteriorating condition, only a small part can now be accessed.
