Crosses New River Design truss swing bridge Location Fort Lauderdale | Official name Snow-Reed Swing Bridge Opened 1925 Body of water New River | |
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Carries 2 lanes, pedestrians, and bicycles Locale Fort Lauderdale, Florida Maintained by City of Fort Lauderdale Bridge type Swing bridge, Truss bridge Similar Bert Dosh Memorial Bridge, Trammell Bridge, Francis P Whitehair Bridge, Coral Springs Covered, Port Orange Causeway | ||
The Snow-Reed Swing Bridge is one of the oldest bridges in the Fort Lauderdale area, and one of the few remaining swing bridges in Florida. Located between the 300 and 500 block of Southwest 11th (Palm) Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the bridge connects the neighborhoods of Sailboat Bend and Riverside Park.
Contents
Before
A wood bridge supported by a single piling used to cross at SW 9th Avenue. In 1916, the old Andrews Avenue swing bridge was moved to cross at 11th Avenue. Locals along the North Fork requested the bridge. This was replaced in 1924 by a new swing bridge, which is still in place.
History
The bridge was constructed from 1924 to 1925 according to the plaque mounted on the NW bridge abutment wall, which reads:
The Champion Bridge Company was a well-known builder of truss bridges. The bridge is a truss bridge with an approximately 100-foot span. To open the bridge for marine vessels, an electric motor drives a pinion gear which engages a ring gear in the base of the bridge. If the electric motor is not working, the bridge can also be opened manually using a large wrench (approx. 8' DEEP socket with an 8' long handle).
In the 1990s because of cross river crime, some residents sought to remove the bridge.
Renovation
The bridge was closed for nearly a year for a major renovation and reopened on August 1, 2010. Contractors replaced damaged structural steel, added new railings and grating, upgraded mechanical and electrical systems, and constructed a new tender control house.