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Keys Approve Agreement To Restore Section Of Seven Mile Bridge

MARATHON (CBSMiami/FKNB) – Monroe County commissioners approved an agreement Wednesday between the Florida Department of Transportation, Monroe County and the City of Marathon to provide funding to restore and maintain a 2.2-mile section of the historic Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys.

Much of the historic Seven Mile Bridge, a Florida Keys icon, is to be saved for future generations.

The Monroe County Commission Wednesday approved a 30-year, $77 million project to restore and maintain a 2.2-mile segment of the bridge between Marathon and tiny Pigeon Key. The agreement calls for the Florida Department of Transportation to pick up 75 percent of the 30-year, $77 million program with 18 percent coming from the county and 7 percent from the City of Marathon.

Gus Pego, FDOT's District 6 secretary, said some $30 million are to be spent during initial stages to fortify the existing structure. He said he hopes construction can get started in about two years.

The bridge was built more than a century ago, when Henry Flagler constructed the Florida Keys OverSea Railroad.

In 1938 the bridge was revamped for automobiles and in 1982 the Federal government built a new span. "Old 7" was retired and became a fishing pier and walking area, but the harsh marine environment has taken its toll.

"Almost every major component of the bridge needs to be repaired," Pego said, "The substructure, the superstructure and the hand railings in order to make it safe for pedestrians."

Pego said the refurbished span will remain under state jurisdiction and will be designed to support 17-ton vehicles.

"We're going to design it so that emergency vehicles can [go] back and forth from Pigeon Key," he said. "We also envision a light tram taking tourists back and forth to the island."

Today, Pigeon Key, the miniscule island beneath the old bridge that once housed hundreds of workers that built Flagler's railroad, is a historical and education center. Visitors are transported there via a ferry because the old bridge has been deemed unsafe for motorized vehicles.

"Folks come from all over the world to see this iconic structure," said Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi. "It's utilized by more than 100,000 people every year for walking and biking.

"We think it's a good investment," he said.

The Florida Keys News Bureau contributed to this report.

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