The Venetian Causeway crosses
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay () is a lagoon with characteristics of an estuary located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida. The northern end of the lagoon is surrounded by the densely developed heart of the Miami metropolitan area while the southern end is la ...
between
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...
on the mainland and
Miami Beach
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which s ...
on a
barrier island
Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a fe ...
in the
Miami metropolitan area
The Miami metropolitan area (also known as Greater Miami, the Tri-County Area, South Florida, or the Gold Coast) is the ninth largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the List of largest cities, 34th largest metropolitan ar ...
. The man-made
Venetian Islands and non-
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
portions of 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 ...
were created by materials which came from the dredging of the bay. The Venetian Causeway follows the original route of the
Collins Bridge, a wooden long structure built in 1913 by
John S. Collins and
Carl G. Fisher
Carl Graham Fisher (January 12, 1874 – July 15, 1939) was an American entrepreneur. He was an important figure in the automotive industry, in highway construction, and in real estate development.
In his early life in Indiana, despite fam ...
which opened up the barrier island for unprecedented growth and development.
The causeway has one toll plaza (administered by the Miami-Dade County Public Works department) on
Biscayne Island, the westernmost Venetian Island. The toll for an automobile is $3.00 (US).
The causeway has two
bascule bridge
A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- or ...
s. At the Downtown/Western Beginning of the causeway travelers are greeted by two columns vertically saying "VENETIAN WAY" along with a sign indicating that there is a weight limit .
At the
South Beach
South Beach, also nicknamed colloquially as SoBe, is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida. It is located east of Miami between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses Miami Beach south of Dade Boulevard.
This area was the fi ...
/Eastern Terminus, drivers must choose whether to go north onto Dade Boulevard or eastbound onto 17th Street to
Ocean Drive,
Collins Ave/A1A,
Lincoln Road, City Hall, The Convention Center, Jackie Gleason Theater and the beach .
The Venetian Causeway was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. It was re-dedicated in 1999 after the completion of a $29 million restoration and replacement project.
[The City of Miami Beac]
Community Bridges The Past With The New Millennium
, October 28, 1999
A popular use of the causeway is for exercising, including both jogging and bicycling.
See also
*
Belle Isle
*
Collins Bridge
*
Di Lido Island
*
Biscayne Island
*
Rivo Alto Island
The Venetian Islands are a chain of artificial islands in Biscayne Bay in the cities of Miami and Miami Beach, Florida. The islands are, from west to east: Biscayne Island (Miami), San Marco Island (Miami), San Marino Island (Miami Beach), D ...
*
John S. Collins
*
Carl G. Fisher
Carl Graham Fisher (January 12, 1874 – July 15, 1939) was an American entrepreneur. He was an important figure in the automotive industry, in highway construction, and in real estate development.
In his early life in Indiana, despite fam ...
Gallery
Image:Venetian Causeway South Beach.jpg, View of the Venetian Causeway and islands with South Beach
South Beach, also nicknamed colloquially as SoBe, is a neighborhood in Miami Beach, Florida. It is located east of Miami between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses Miami Beach south of Dade Boulevard.
This area was the fi ...
in the background, as seen from the 1800 Club in Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is the urban city center of Miami, Florida. The city's greater downtown region consists of the Central Business District, Brickell, the Historic District, Government Center, the Arts & Entertainment District, and Park West. It ...
File:Venetian Causeway west drawbridge viewed from MacArthur Causeway (2014).jpg, The westernmost of the two drawbridges on the causeway, with its draw span opened for a boat
File:Venetian Causeway - Miami Entrance 06.jpg, View from water level towards Miami Beach
File:Venetian Causeway - Miami Entrance 05.jpg, View towards Miami Beach
File:Venetian Causeway - Miami Entrance 09.jpg, The Venetian Causeway viewed from former site of The Miami Herald
File:Venetian Causeway - Miami Entrance 01.jpg, Entrance to Venetian Causeway from Miami side
File:Venetian Causeway - Miami Entrance 02.jpg, Column with Sign
File:Venetian Causeway - Miami Entrance 10.jpg, Bridge detail, lamps and railing
File:Venetian Causeway - Miami Entrance 03.jpg, Entrance to Venetian Causeway with Columns view towards southeast
References
External links
New York Times Article (March 21, 2008): ''Islands of Calm ''
{{Crossings navbox
, structure= Crossings
, place=
Biscayne Bay
Biscayne Bay () is a lagoon with characteristics of an estuary located on the Atlantic coast of South Florida. The northern end of the lagoon is surrounded by the densely developed heart of the Miami metropolitan area while the southern end is la ...
, bridge= Venetian Causeway
, bridge signs=
, upstream text= North
, upstream=
Julia Tuttle Causeway
Julia is usually a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. (For further details on etymology, see the Wiktionary entry "Julius".) The given name ''Julia'' had been in use throughout Late Antiquity (e ...
, upstream signs=
, downstream text= South
, downstream=
MacArthur Causeway
, downstream signs=
Toll bridges in Florida
Roads in Miami
Roads in Miami Beach, Florida
Roads in Miami-Dade County, Florida
Causeways in Miami-Dade County, Florida
Intracoastal Waterway
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida
National Register of Historic Places in Miami-Dade County, Florida
Bridges completed in 1913
Drawbridges on the National Register of Historic Places
1913 establishments in Florida
Concrete bridges in the United States
Bascule bridges in the United States