Collins Bridge across Biscayne Bay between Miami and Miami Beach, Florida opened in 1913 as the "longest wooden bridge in the world." photo from Florida Photographic Collection
The Collins Bridge across Biscayne Bay was built by farmer and developer John S. Collins (1837-1928) with financial assistance from automotive parts and racing pioneer Carl G. Fisher. The 2 1/2 mile wooden toll bridge opened on June 12, 1913, providing a critical link between the established city of Miami on the mainland and the new town of Miami Beach, Florida formerly accessible only by a ferry service. The Collins Bridge was awarded the title of being "longest wooden bridge in the world." Dont confuse it with the European Bay of Biscay. ... The Miami skyline, as it is seen from the northeast. ... Miami Beach is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ... Dont confuse it with the European Bay of Biscay. ... Paying toll on passing a bridge. ... June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ... 1913 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... The Miami skyline, as it is seen from the northeast. ... Miami Beach is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. ... The Pride of Burgundy, a P&O Ferries car ferry on the Dover-Calais route A ferry is a boat or a ship carrying passengers, and possibly their vehicles, on a relatively short-distance, regularly-scheduled service. ...
The original Collins Bridge, at the southern terminus of the Dixie Highway, was replaced in 1925. Today, the historic Venetian Causeway follows the route. Dixie Highway in St. ...
The next bridge was a steel structure erected in connection with the construction of the first dam and power house for the Tennessee Power Co. The third bridge was erected in 1923-24 by the T.E.P.Co. in connection with raising the dam 35 feet.
Webmaster notes: The bridge across the mouth of Cane Creek was still in decent shape as late as the early 1960s, and could be crossed by automobile at that time, although there was no where to go on the east side of the bridge except to turn around and go back across the same bridge.
The bridge was built by the Tennessee Power Co. On January 1, 1925, a clear cold morning, 2 barges were pushed up the river, anchored under the bridge and the steel work was lowered on to the barges.
John Stiles Collins (December 29, 1837-February 11, 1928) was a Quaker farmer from New Jersey, USA who came to southern Florida and attempted to grow vegetables and coconuts on the swampy, bug-infested stretch of land between Miami and the ocean, a barrier island which became Miami Beach.
The CollinsBridge was located at the southern terminus of promoter Fisher's Dixie Highway project, which brought traffic from the mid-west as part of the National Auto Trail road system.
Collins, his family, and Fisher all became very wealthy with the development of Miami Beach, which had a 400% increase in resident population between 1920 and 1925.
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