The Bonita Beach Causeway is a series of four low-level bridges located in

Southwest Florida Southwest Florida is the region along the southwest Gulf coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is known for its beaches, subtropical landscape, and winter resort economy. Definitions of the region vary, though its boundaries are generally ...

traversing the barrier islands of Estero Bay connecting the town of

Fort Myers Beach Fort Myers Beach is a town located on the North end of Estero Island in Lee County, Florida, United States. The town is on the Gulf of Mexico and is accessed from the mainland by a bridge over Estero Bay. The population was 5,582 at the 2020 c ...

with Bonita Springs. It carries Estero Boulevard (County Road 865) and is long from end to end. Each bridge on the Bonita Beach Causeway is named after the body of water it crosses.

Route description

Estero Boulevard (which crosses the

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...

) begins just south of the Bonita Beach Causeway on Little Hickory Island, splitting off from Hickory Boulevard (County Road 865). It heads north and crosses Big Hickory Pass Bridge, which lands on Big Hickory Island. After a short distance, it then crosses the New Pass Bridge, and lands on Long Key, and enters the Lovers Key / Carl E. Johnson State Park. After crossing the Little Carlos Pass Bridge onto Black Key, Estero Boulevard turns west and crosses the Big Carlos Pass Bridge, a small single-leaf

drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable ...

, onto

Estero Island Estero Island is an island located in Lee County, Florida, on the Gulf coast of Southwest Florida. It is bordered by San Carlos Island to the north and Big Carlos Pass to the south. The Matanzas Pass Bridge is on the northern end of the island ...

, and the town of Fort Myers Beach.

History

Before the causeway's construction, the only way to access Estero Island and Fort Myers Beach by car was via the

Matanzas Pass Bridge The Matanzas Pass Bridge (also locally known as the Sky Bridge, or the Fort Myers Beach Bridge) is a bridge located in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. It carries State Road 865 (San Carlos Boulevard) between the Florida mainland (via San Carlos Isla ...

(which was still a small

swing bridge A swing bridge (or swing span bridge) is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its center of gravity, about which the swing span (turning span) can then pi ...

at this time). The swing bridge's machinery was highly unreliable, which concerned islanders who feared the bridge would break down in the event of an emergency, such as a

hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

evacuation. The islanders felt having a second exit for the island for safety reasons would be wise. The county then decided the most feasible location was to run the causeway from the south end of the island over barrier islands to Bonita Springs. The causeway's exact routing was selected by surveyor Carl Johnson (for whom Lovers Key / Carl E. Johnson State Park was named), and he became known as the father of the project. Construction began in 1963, and the causeway opened on July 4, 1965.

Gallery

Image:Big Hickory Pass Bridge.jpg, Big Hickory Pass Bridge File:New Pass Bridge 2.jpg, New Pass Bridge Image:Fort Myers Beach FL Lovers Key SP south sign01.jpg, The entrance to the Lovers Key / Carl E. Johnson State Park Image:Bonita Water Tower.jpg, The Water Tower which welcomes southbound travelers on the Bonita Beach Causeway into Bonita Springs. It is on Big Hickory Island.

References

{{Bridges of Florida Bridges in Lee County, Florida Causeways in Florida Bonita Springs, Florida Road bridges in Florida Roads in Lee County, Florida Bridges completed in 1965 Bridges completed in 1979 1965 establishments in Florida Steel bridges in the United States Concrete bridges in the United States Girder bridges in the United States Bascule bridges in the United States Transportation buildings and structures in Lee County, Florida