Alva Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Alva Bridge is a small two-lane drawbridge
located in Alva, Florida
. The bridge is 21 feet tall and it is one of four drawbridges in Lee County
. The bridge carries Broadway over the Caloosahatchee River
.
The first bridge at this site was a small swing bridge
constructed in 1903, and it was the closest bridge to Fort Myers
up until 1924. In 1925, the original bridge was replaced with a new swing bridge
. The old swing bridge was then dismantled and taken to Matlacha, Florida
, where it operated as the Matlacha Bridge
for a year before being destroyed by a hurricane. The new swing bridge operated until 1966, when it was destroyed by a barge
transporting rocket parts to the Kennedy Space Center
. The second swing bridge then had to be replaced by the current drawbridge, which opened in 1969, after three years of construction.
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
located in Alva, Florida
Alva, Florida
Alva is a census-designated place in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,182 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Alva is located at ....
. The bridge is 21 feet tall and it is one of four drawbridges in Lee County
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...
. The bridge carries Broadway over the Caloosahatchee River
Caloosahatchee River
The Caloosahatchee River is a river on the southwest Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States, approximately long. It drains rural areas on the northern edge of the Everglades northwest of Miami...
.
The first bridge at this site was a small swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing 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 centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
constructed in 1903, and it was the closest bridge to Fort Myers
Fort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
up until 1924. In 1925, the original bridge was replaced with a new swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing 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 centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
. The old swing bridge was then dismantled and taken to Matlacha, Florida
Matlacha, Florida
Matlacha is a census-designated place in Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 735. It is part of the Cape Coral–Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, where it operated as the Matlacha Bridge
Matlacha Bridge
The Matlacha Bridge is a small single-leaf drawbridge located in Matlacha, Florida. It carries State Road 78 over Matlacha Pass, connecting Pine Island with the mainland in Cape Coral....
for a year before being destroyed by a hurricane. The new swing bridge operated until 1966, when it was destroyed by a barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
transporting rocket parts to the Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program...
. The second swing bridge then had to be replaced by the current drawbridge, which opened in 1969, after three years of construction.