Overseas Highway, Florida

Originally completed in 1938, the Overseas Highway, designated as State Road 4A, is a 113 mile stretch of US Route 1 that goes through the Florida Keys. Much of the highway follows the path of Henry Flagler’s Key West Extension of the Florida East Coast Railway, also known as the Overseas Railroad, with many portions of the highway built on top of the defunct rail.  There are 42 overseas bridges along the Overseas Highway, most notably the Seven Mile Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the country.  In the 1980s several stretches of the original highway were replaced by new road, and are being converted into the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, providing park space for fishing, biking, and walking.  One of the most dramatic roadways in the country, the Overseas Highway was named an All-American Road by the U.S. Transportation Secretary in 2009.