Swamp Bridges on I-75 in Florida

[CtrlAltDel]

I've been compiling a list of memories from my childhood trips from Chicago to Florida, which would use I-75 from Chattanooga to the Tampa area. One of the things that I remember was a long bridge similar to the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge on I-10 in Louisiana in that it was long, it was not particularly high off the ground, and that some of the piers were slanted.

I've been examining Google Maps, looking for something similar, and the best I can find is this, but at less than a mile, it doesn't seem long enough to me, although that could be a distortion caused by time.

I'm wondering if there might be any other bridges that might be what I'm remembering but have overlooked. Does anyone know offhand? I suppose they could also be in southern Georgia, but they would definitely be on I-75.

[amroad17]

Did you travel all the way to Tampa?  Before 1973, I-75 was routed along what is now I-275 from Wesley Chapel to at least St. Petersburg.  The only long bridge you are speaking of along I-75 (now I-275) is the near 5 mile long Howard Frankland Bridge. Could this be the bridge you are thinking of?

Looking at Google Maps and GSV, there really is not a long bridge--especially similar to the length of the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge--along I-75 between Chattanooga and Tampa.

[wriddle082]

There's a decent-length straight bridge just north of Exit 321 in Lake Panasoffkee, which is right before the first exit south of the Florida's Turnpike split.  That bridge may only be about a mile long, but it felt longer prior to it being widened.

[amroad17]

^ I believe that is the bridge that CtrlAltDel is speaking of in his post.

[formulanone]

The only other longer briges I can think of in Florida are in The Keys, but that's far from the Tampa area. Possibly I-295 for the crossing of the St. Johns River, but that's also out of the way.

Another comparatively long bridge would be I-10 over the Apalachicola River, which is not near I-75, but from an "I-65 towards I-75" routing. 

[roadman65]

It's got to Lake Panasofkee.

[CtrlAltDel]

Did you travel all the way to Tampa?  Before 1973, I-75 was routed along what is now I-275 from Wesley Chapel to at least St. Petersburg.  The only long bridge you are speaking of along I-75 (now I-275) is the near 5 mile long Howard Frankland Bridge. Could this be the bridge you are thinking of?

Looking at Google Maps and GSV, there really is not a long bridge--especially similar to the length of the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge--along I-75 between Chattanooga and Tampa.

The trip actually went all the way past Tampa to Bradenton, and my dad did like to take the Sunshine Skyway Bridge whenever the traffic was low enough, so both I-75 and I-275 are definitely possibilities. I don't think that the bridge I'm remembering is either the Sunshine Skyway or the Howard Frankland, though, since I remember being surrounded by trees and such.

The only other longer briges I can think of in Florida are in The Keys, but that's far from the Tampa area. Possibly I-295 for the crossing of the St. Johns River, but that's also out of the way.

Another comparatively long bridge would be I-10 over the Apalachicola River, which is not near I-75, but from an "I-65 towards I-75" routing.

These are, as you point out, a bit out of the way. I remember that, as the navigator of these trips (even if my parents may have been humoring me), the route was always 65 to 24 to 75.

[CtrlAltDel]

There's a decent-length straight bridge just north of Exit 321 in Lake Panasoffkee, which is right before the first exit south of the Florida's Turnpike split.  That bridge may only be about a mile long, but it felt longer prior to it being widened.

It's got to Lake Panasofkee.

That's my conclusion as well. Thanks to everyone for letting me pick your brains, though.

[amroad17]

There's a decent-length straight bridge just north of Exit 321 in Lake Panasoffkee, which is right before the first exit south of the Florida's Turnpike split.  That bridge may only be about a mile long, but it felt longer prior to it being widened.

It's got to Lake Panasofkee.

That's my conclusion as well. Thanks to everyone for letting me pick your brains, though.

Not a problem! 

[Alex]

As was already concluded in the preceding posts, I immediately thought of the Florida Veteran' Memorial Bridge over Panasoffkee Creek in Sumter County.



The span was previously separate bridges, and only combined to one in 2002:



You can see where the northbound bridge was expanded.

[jdb1234]

^^^

Also, the bridges was notorious for having no shoulders at all.