<Tr> <Th> Opened </Th> <Td> 1912 as rail bridge, converted to highway use in 1938 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Closed </Th> <Td> 1972 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Bahia Honda Rail Bridge is a derelict railroad bridge in the lower Florida Keys connecting Bahia Honda Key with Spanish Harbor Key . Originally part of the Overseas Railway, the state of Florida purchased it from the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) after the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane and converted it for automobile use as part of the Overseas Highway in 1938 . After a replacement Bahia Honda Bridge was opened in 1972, two spans of the bridge were removed to accommodate boat traffic . </P> <P> The Bahia Honda railroad bridge was originally built by Henry Flagler as part of the FEC's Overseas Railroad . Opened in 1912, Flagler funded the railway construction between Miami and Key West using his own personal funds . The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 destroyed much of the line, and FEC sought abandonment . It was purchased by the state of Florida and converted for highway use in 1938 . Rather than rebuilding the bridge, the top of the structure was redecked for use as the Overseas Highway (the existing deck inside the truss was too narrow for vehicular traffic). </P>

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