I've been wanting to hit on this for a long time and this recent trip really has given me an opportunity to go back and get some better pictures from the original Overseas Highway alignment prior to US 1. Between 1928 until US 1 was opened in 1938 there was State Road 4a which essentially was the first highway routing to the mainland from Key West. The route was substantially different than modern US 1 and included a long Ferry Gap from No Name Key to Lower Matecumbe Key. I plan on adding pictures to this thread as I go and captioning my Flickr Album, but what I have so far can be viewed here:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/26G5H7With that all said I'll touch on the history about the highway including the original plans to bridge the gap before the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane. For now I prepared maps of 4a in the Lower Keys to show the difference between the Overseas Railroad right-of-way used by modern US 1. For a time even US 1 used the 4a alignment in the Lower Keys from Big Pine to Stock Island:
1StockIslandtoBocaChica by
Max Rockatansky, on Flickr
- Starting with Stock Island 4a would have split away from the railroad on MacDonald and Maloney Avenue. 4a went through the site of a current marina over Boca Chica Channel to Boca Chica Key. On Boca Chica most of the alignment of 4a ran on the Atlantic side of the Island and has been washed away west of the runway at NAS Key West. There is stray remains of power lines and even a shanty town.
2BocaChicatoGeigertoSugarloaf by
Max Rockatansky, on Flickr
- The portion of 4a on Geiger Key can still be driven today on Boca Chica Road and passes a former Hawk Missile site which can be seen from the road. There was a small realignment of Geiger Road which has been razed through NAS Key West property but otherwise it goes to the former piling to the Bird Key/Saddlebunch Harbor bridge which would have connected to Sugarloaf Key. Most of the alignment of 4a on Sugarloaf shown above still exists and can be walked through the National Key Deer Refuge.
3Sugarloaf1 by
Max Rockatansky, on Flickr
The map above shows the section of 4a that is still maintained by Monroe County on Sugarloaf Key and the two points where maintenance ends. Interestingly the Sugarloaf Creek Bridge had a date stamp of 1968 on it which probably means the road was a maintained highway much longer than I originally anticipated. The gate and roadway to the Jumping Bridge is a somewhat popular location due to the deep cut channel that it crosses.
4Sugarloaf by
Max Rockatansky, on Flickr
The map above shows 4a snaking up Sugarloaf Key back towards the railroad. The Tarpon Creek Bridge is on a section of unmaintained road and still exists in some capacity with burnt up pilings. I have pictures of the piling from a couple years back and the roadway which is in very poor condition.
5SugarloaftoCudjoetoSummerland by
Max Rockatansky, on Flickr
The map above shows where 4a crossed over the Overseas Railroad on Sugarloaf Key at the current site of Mangrove Mama's. I'm not clear if the current building was the Flagler Rail Depot but I do know for sure that there was a depot located there at one point. The back of the parking lot has the approach to Bow Channel Bridge to Cudjoe Key. 4a on Cudjoe is still partially used as an actual road but is largely complete as a recently repaved bike path. The bridge approach to Summerland Key basically overgrown but it can be seen from the modern US 1 bridge.
6SummerlandtoRamrodtoMiddleTorchtoLittleTorch by
Max Rockatansky, on Flickr
Most of 4a on Summerland Key is gone aside from the east side of the island where it is now Center Street. The Niles Channel Bridge approach is very evident on Summerland Key but not so much from Ramrod. Essentially all of 4a is now used a local road on Ramrod but the two bridges to Little Torch are overgrown. There is a large strip of asphalt that can be seen approaching Torch Ramrod Channel from US 1 on Middle Torch Key. On little Torch 4a split north from the railroad towards No Name Key while the latter continued the modern alignment towards Bahia Honda Key and the Seven Mile Bridge.
7LittleTorchtoBigPinetoNoNameKeyFerry by
Max Rockatansky, on Flickr
Above 4a can be seen crossing Pine Channel and using Watson Blvd on Big Pine Key to approach No Name Key. The ferry from Lower Matecumbe Key would land at the end of the road and that is why the No Name Pub is located where it is. Apparently the place used to be a lodge and brothel when 4a was in use as the actual highway which would have essentially been located in no man's land for the time.
I'll keep adding to this thread over the next couple weeks. This will be pretty substantial compared to most former highway alignment threads I've done since there is major shifts in the Middle and Upper Keys.