Florida Keys Pedestrian Bridges Closed Due to Safety Issues

State officials have closed four pedestrian bridges in the Florida Keys because of safety concerns.

The bridges are more than 100 years old and were once part of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway. They no longer support vehicle traffic. The bridges now mostly are used by fishermen.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Monroe County closed the bridges Friday. DEP spokeswoman Mara Burger tells The Key West Citizen that the Florida Department of Transportation found major deficiencies in the bridges during a structural survey in December.

County Commissioner George Neugent says it will cost about $15 million to fix the bridges, but currently there is no state funding available for those repairs.

The bridges are part of a trail system that includes 23 historic railroad bridges.