Venetian Causeway | |
|---|---|
 Venetian Causeway from Downtown Miami, east toward Miami Beach in 2002 | |
| Coordinates | 25°47′28″N 80°09′54″W / 25.791°N 80.165°W |
| Crosses | Biscayne Bay |
| Locale | Miami to Miami Beach |
| Maintained by | MDX |
| Heritage status | NRHP (1989)[1] |
| Preceded by | Collins Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Bascule |
| Total length | 2.8 miles (4.5 km) |
| Longest span | 0.4 miles (0.64 km) |
| History | |
| Designer | Harvey Stanley, Raymond Concrete Pile Co. |
| Opened | 1925 (original causeway & bridges) 1999 (current bridges) |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | $3.00[2] |
Venetian Causeway | |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000852[3] |
| Added to NRHP | July 13, 1989 |
| Location | |
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The Venetian Causeway crosses Biscayne Bay between Miami on the mainland and Miami Beach on a barrier island in the Miami metropolitan area. The man-made Venetian Islands and non-bridge portions of the causeway were created by materials which came from the dredging of the bay. The Venetian Causeway follows the original route of the Collins Bridge, a wooden 2.5 mi (4 km) long structure built in 1913 by John S. Collins and Carl G. Fisher which opened up the barrier island for unprecedented growth and development.
The causeway has one toll plaza (administered by the Miami-Dade County Public Works department[4]) on Biscayne Island, the westernmost Venetian Island. The toll for an automobile is $3.00 (US).[5]
The causeway has two bascule bridges. At the Downtown/Western Beginning of the causeway travelers are greeted by two columns vertically saying "VENETIAN WAY" along with a sign indicating that there is a weight limit .
At the South Beach/Eastern Terminus, drivers must choose whether to go north onto Dade Boulevard or eastbound onto 17th Street to Ocean Drive, Collins Ave/A1A, Lincoln Road, City Hall, The Convention Center, Jackie Gleason Theater and the beach .
The Venetian Causeway was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.[6] It was re-dedicated in 1999 after the completion of a $29 million restoration and replacement project.[7]
In 2023 Miami-Dade County initiated a plan to replace the 11 original bridges along the causeway with higher structures.[8]
A popular use of the causeway is for exercising, including both jogging and bicycling.
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