Matlacha Bridge

The Matlacha Bridge (pronounced "Mat-La-Shay") is a small single-leaf drawbridge located in Matlacha, Florida. It carries County Road 78 (Pine Island Road) over Matlacha Pass, connecting Pine Island with the mainland in Cape Coral.

Matlacha Bridge
Aerial view of the 1968–2012 bridge
Coordinates26°37′57.55″N 82°04′04.68″W
Carries CR 78
CrossesMatlacha Pass
LocaleMatlacha, Florida
Official nameMalacha Bridge
Maintained byLee County Department of Transportation
Characteristics
DesignBascule bridge
Clearance above9 Feet (with drawbridge lowered)
History
Opened1927 (original wooden bridge)
1968 (previous bridge)
2012 (current bridge)
Statistics
TollNone

The first bridge spanning Matlacha Pass was a small wooden swing bridge. The first bridge's swing span was a recycled span that had previously been used on the Alva Bridge.[1] The first bridge was built largely in part to the influence of Pine Island resident Harry Stingfellow, who served as a county commissioner from 1926 to 1953.[2]

The first bridge was replaced with a concrete bascule bridge in 1968.[3] The bridge became a very popular fishing spot for local residents, and was nicknamed "The fishingest bridge in the world".[3] The current bascule bridge opened on November 18, 2012.[4][5] The current span is 9 feet tall, similar to its predecessor.[6]

After its demolition, the previous bridge (the one built in 1968) was made into an artificial reef at Novak's reef, which is about 3 miles off the coast of Charlotte County.[7]

References
  1. "Lee County's Moveable Bridges: The Drawbridge at Alva". Tropicalia (from The News-Press). 2007-09-09.
  2. "Harry Stringfellow". Pine Island Info: Preserving Pine Island's Past. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  3. "5 things about Matlacha bridges". Fort Myers News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. October 15, 2016. Retrieved 2017-04-23.
  4. "Matlacha Bridge Opens". Fort Myers News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. November 19, 2012. p. B1.
  5. "New Matlacha bridge opens". WBBH-TV. November 18, 2012. Retrieved 2017-04-23.
  6. "Matlacha Bridge opens". Archived from the original on 2012-12-26. Retrieved 2012-11-23.
  7. Rupolo, John (November 20, 2012). "Matlacha Bridge on its way to becoming a reef". WFTX-TV. Archived from the original on December 26, 2012. Retrieved 2017-04-23.


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