Caloosahatchee Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Caloosahatchee Bridge (also locally known as the Hancock Bridge, or the US 41 Bridge) is a bridge located in Fort Myers, Florida
. It carries U.S. 41
(locally known as Cleveland Avenue) over the Caloosahatchee River
, which is where its name comes from. The Bridge has four lanes and is 55 feet tall.
The Caloosahatchee Bridge opened in 1962, changing the routing of U.S. 41 to bypass downtown Fort Myers. Originally, U.S. 41 went though downtown Fort Myers, 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 U.S. 41 Business Route.
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 U.S. 41's intersection with State Roads 867
, 80
, and 82. Each of these routes terminate at this intersection. A two lane overpass constructed with the Caloosahatchee Bridge crosses this intersection, which is also 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.
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....
. It carries U.S. 41
U.S. Route 41
U.S. Route 41 is a north–south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, was U.S...
(locally known as Cleveland Avenue) 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...
, which is where its name comes from. The Bridge has four lanes and is 55 feet tall.
The Caloosahatchee Bridge opened in 1962, changing the routing of U.S. 41 to bypass downtown Fort Myers. Originally, U.S. 41 went though downtown Fort Myers, 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 U.S. 41 Business Route.
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 U.S. 41's intersection with State Roads 867
Florida State Road 867
State Road 867 and Lee County Road 867 together create a roadway in Lee County, Florida, connecting Punta Rassa and Fort Myers, Florida. The entire stretch used to be a State Road, but the southernmost have been redesignated County Road 867...
, 80
Florida State Road 80
Florida State Road 80 is a route linking US 41 in Fort Myers and Florida State Road A1A in Palm Beach. The road is the northernmost of three linking Southwest Florida to South Florida via the Everglades...
, and 82. Each of these routes terminate at this intersection. A two lane overpass constructed with the Caloosahatchee Bridge crosses this intersection, which is also 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.