Merritt Island Causeway

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Cocoa - Merritt Island - Cocoa Beach current and former road alignments

The present day Merritt Island Causeway, which connects Cocoa, Florida, Merritt Island, Florida and Cocoa Beach, Florida, is the second route over the Indian River Lagoon and Banana River. The causeway is divided by Merritt Island into eastern and weastern sections. The western section is the location of the Hubert H. Humphrey Bridge, under which the Intracoastal Waterway passes. The eastern section is the location of the Willard Peebles bridge over the Banana River Lagoon, and is also known as Cocoa Beach Causeway. Today it carries SR 520. In the 1960's SR A1A was routed over the eastern causway from present day SR 520 and SR A1A, to the present day intersection of SR 520 and SR 3 on Merritt Island, going north.

[edit] First route

On May 1, 1917 the first bridge between Cocoa and Merritt Island across the Indian River was opened. Soon after this bridge was built, an idea for a new bridge connecting Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach over the Banana River began circulating. Eventually two routes were proposed, one each from a Mr. Barlow, and Mr. Rogers

Barlow's Route: Cross over Sykes Creek and east to Cocoa Beach
Roger's Route: Cross from Horti Point east to Cocoa Beach.

On September 27, 1919, Roger's Route was approved. The bridge was finally completed April 19, 1922 after running into financial problems and costing an additional $200,000.

The present day alignment, from west to east, based upon this description

Hubert H. Humphrey Bridge
Palmetto Avenue (used to intersect at SR 520 and SR 3)
East Merritt Island Avenue
Audubon Road
Old Audubon Road
Triangle Road
North Banana Drive (follow south to the start of the bridge)

The narrow laned draw bridge crossed the Banana River near Old Causeway Road on Horti Point. It is believed that the present day Minuteman Causeway Boulevard is the remaining portion of the Banana River Causeway.

The bridge system composed of the Indian River Bridge and the Banana River Bridge lasted another 18 years, when growth finally caught up with the bridge system.

[edit] Second route

On June 5, 1941, the present day alignment of SR 520 opened with a single wider lane in each direction. Two draw bridges, one on each river, and a few relief bridges made up the causeway. The original wooden bridges were torn up shortly afterwards. Today, the name Banana River Bridge refers to the eastern causeway of the Emory L. Bennett Causeway, a part of SR 528.

Traffic problems were growing worse in the 1960's, and the county appealed to then Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey for relief. Vice President spoke to NASA and the U.S. Air Force and they agreed to help fund the widening. In August 16, 1962, the road widening was completed. Less than six years later the Hubert H. Humphrey Bridge was dedicated by Hubert H. Humphrey on March 1, 1968.

At nearly the same time proposals for additional bridges in the area were proprosed. Cocoa Avenue (now Minuteman Causeway) was proposed to cross to Merritt Island over the Minuteman Causeway. Its route would have taken it along the old Banana River Bridge. The idea was formally denied on February 26, 1970 by the State of Florida.

Today, widening projects continue, and the eastern draw bridge was removed from the causeway within the last 5 years. There is already talk of the need to expand the causeway as the result of local growth.