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The Caloosahatchee Bridge is a bridge located in
The Caloosahatchee Bridge was built in 1962 but it did not open for traffic until 1964. The bridge's opening was delayed due to difficult negotiations with landowners at the south side over land needed to connect the bridge to Cleveland Avenue.
The opening of the bridge changed the routing of US 41 to bypass downtown Fort Myers. Originally, US 41 went through downtown Fort Myers via Carson Street and First Street, and crossed the Caloosahatchee River on the Edison Bridge, which at the time was a two-lane drawbridge. The old route was then designated as the US 41 Business.
The south side of the bridge passes over Centennial Park, as well as First Street, the main road through downtown Fort Myers. A loop ramp connects the southbound lanes of the bridge to First Street. Directly south of the bridge is US 41's intersection with
, upstream= Edison Bridge
, upstream signs= 
, downstream=
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...
. It carries U.S. Highway 41 (US 41, locally known as Cleveland Avenue) over the Caloosahatchee River
The Caloosahatchee River is a river on the southwest Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States, approximately long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 18, 2011 It dr ...
, which is where its name comes from. The bridge has four lanes and is tall.
History
The Caloosahatchee Bridge was built in 1962 but it did not open for traffic until 1964. The bridge's opening was delayed due to difficult negotiations with landowners at the south side over land needed to connect the bridge to Cleveland Avenue.
The opening of the bridge changed the routing of US 41 to bypass downtown Fort Myers. Originally, US 41 went through downtown Fort Myers via Carson Street and First Street, and crossed the Caloosahatchee River on the Edison Bridge, which at the time was a two-lane drawbridge. The old route was then designated as the US 41 Business.
The south side of the bridge passes over Centennial Park, as well as First Street, the main road through downtown Fort Myers. A loop ramp connects the southbound lanes of the bridge to First Street. Directly south of the bridge is US 41's intersection with McGregor Boulevard
State Road 867 (SR 867) and County Road 867 (CR 867) together create a long road known as McGregor Boulevard in Lee County, Florida, paralleling the Caloosahatchee River between Punta Rassa and Fort Myers. The entire road was formerly state-main ...
, SR 80, and SR 82. Each of these highways terminate at this intersection. A two-lane overpass constructed with the Caloosahatchee Bridge crosses this intersection, which is historically known as the Five Points interchange, since it is a five-way interchange. The overpass originally carried both northbound and southbound traffic from the bridge, but was changed to have both lanes carry northbound traffic in the early 1990s.
Honorary designation
As part of the adoption of HB 7149 in the 2014Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida House of Representatives being the lower house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...
session (Chapter 2014-228), the bridge, effective July 1, 2014, received the honorary designation of ''Henry Ford
Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that mi ...
Bridge''. However, per the adopted bill, the designation does not change its official name (Caloosahatchee Bridge) and the local government is not required to change signage to the honorary designation. The City of Fort Myers opted to not rename the bridge.
See also
*List of crossings of the Caloosahatchee River
The Caloosahatchee River is a river on the southwest Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States, approximately long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 18, 2011 It dr ...
References
{{Crossings navbox , structure= Crossings , place=Caloosahatchee River
The Caloosahatchee River is a river on the southwest Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States, approximately long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 18, 2011 It dr ...
, bridge= Caloosahatchee Bridge
, bridge signs=
, upstream= Edison Bridge
, upstream signs=
, downstream= Midpoint Memorial Bridge
The Midpoint Memorial Bridge (often referred to as simply the Midpoint Bridge) is a bridge located in Southwest Florida. It spans the Caloosahatchee River, connecting Fort Myers and Cape Coral. It is a four-lane fixed span that is long. The bri ...
, downstream signs=
Bridges completed in 1962
Buildings and structures in Fort Myers, Florida
Road bridges in Florida
Bridges over the Caloosahatchee River
Transportation in Fort Myers, Florida
U.S. Route 41
Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System
1964 establishments in Florida
Concrete bridges in the United States
Bridges in Lee County, Florida