boca grande swing bridge haer fl-28 boca grande …

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WRITTEN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA

HAER FL-28HAER FL-28

BOCA GRANDE SWING BRIDGEBoca Grande Causeway/County Road 771, spanning PlacidaHarbor/Gasparilla SoundPlacidaCharlotte CountyFlorida

HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORDSOUTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE

National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior

100 Alabama St. NWAtlanta, GA 30303

HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD

BOCA GRANDE SWING BRIDGE HAER No. FL-28

Location: Boca Grande Causeway/County Road 771 Spanning Placida Harbor/Gasparilla Sound Placida Charlotte County Florida The center of the Boca Grande Swing Bridge is located at latitude:

26.826961, longitude: -82.270173. These coordinates were obtained on December 3, 2013, through Google Earth™. The datum is World Geodetic System 1984.

Dates of Construction: 1955-1958. Architect/Engineer/ Builder: Architect/Engineer: Reynolds, Smith & Hills, Jacksonville, Florida;

Builder: Hardaway Contracting Company, Port Tampa, Florida. Original Owner: Florida Bridge Company, St. Petersburg, Florida. Present Owner: Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA) of Boca Grande, Florida. Use: Carry vehicular traffic between mainland Florida and Gasparilla Island,

over Placida Harbor/Gasparilla Sound. Significance: As a rare type of movable bridge in Florida, the Boca Grande Swing

Bridge, which is part of the Boca Grande Causeway, is considered significant and thus eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A, in the areas of Transportation, and Community Planning and Development and under Criterion C in the area of Engineering. The causeway is the only vehicular link between mainland Florida and Gasparilla Island, and as such, significantly contributed to the residential, commercial, and tourism development of the island. In addition, the bridge is significant as the only toll swing bridge in Florida, and the only swing bridge in the state constructed after World War II that still carries automobile traffic. Swing bridges were typically used in river and water navigation by rotating the swing span on a central pivot pier into a position parallel to the channel. Unfortunately, the central pier usually lies in, and therefore, often blocks part of the navigable channel. Because of this, as well as the tendency for swing bridges to be slow and

BOCA GRANDE SWING BRIDGE HAER No. FL-28 Page 2

cumbersome in operation, this bridge type was rarely constructed after the 1930s.

Description: The Boca Grande Swing Bridge (Photo Nos. 1, 2) is a center-bearing

swing bridge that was constructed as part of the Boca Grande Causeway, which also includes two concrete girder bridges further south. The Swing Bridge extends along a northeast to southwest axis, oriented roughly 15 degrees east of true north. It has approximate overall dimensions of 597’-6” in length, 48’ in width, and 27’-8” in height (above mean sea level); the roadway surface is roughly 19’ above mean sea level. The Swing Bridge is comprised of one main swing span with a pivot pier and two rest bents; four approach spans to either side of the swing span; and one Control House. Other features include two abutments (one at each end of the bridge) and four fenders.

The main swing span consists of a steel “fish belly” plate girder bridge, which has an overall width of 28’ and measures 213’-6” in length (Photo Nos. 3, 4, 7).1 Structurally, the span is comprised of two main girders, four longitudinal stringers, one main cross girder, fourteen lateral stringers or “floor beams,” and diagonal braces. The main girders are positioned on the east and west sides, and extend for the entire length of the swing span. They range in depth from 3’ at the ends to 8’ to the center and are fitted with stiffeners. The 12”-deep longitudinal stringers are spaced roughly 4’ on center between the main girders. The main cross girder is at the center of the swing span; it measures 8’ in depth and, like the main girders, is fitted with stiffeners. The 2’-deep lateral stringers have a spacing of 15’-3” on center, with seven to each side of the main cross girder. In between the cross supports are two 4”-deep diagonal struts for bracing. Below the eight lateral stringers closest to the main girder are sway frames that are connected to the main girder with diagonal struts. At the two ends of the swing span, on the underside, are two navigation lights. The top surface of the swing span (Photo Nos. 5, 6) contains a 22’-wide roadway (two 11’ travel lanes) with 2’-6”-wide edges to support a sidewalk and the bridge railing. The roadway surface is comprised of 3” metal grating with concrete fill within the central 30’-6” of the swing span (above the main cross girder/pivot point) and 5” open metal grating in the remaining areas. The edges are 9” above the surface of the roadway and are formed with checkered steel sheeting. The inner 1’-6” of each edge

1 Reynolds, Smith & Hills, Jacksonville, “Plans for Building Causeway and Draw Span Bridge and Relief Bridges between Placida, Florida and Gasparilla Island, Charlotte County, Florida” (architectural drawings, Florida Bridge Company, January 1956), on file, GIBA Administrative Offices, Boca Grande, Florida.


serves as a sidewalk to provide access to the Control House and to the wedge and pivot piers for maintenance. The bridge railing, within the outer 1’ of each edge, consists of 6” x 6” smooth steel posts spaced 5’-1” on center that support a 1’-high, 9”-wide smooth steel rail. The posts are supported by triangular webs that attach to the main girders. The swing span is supported by three reinforced concrete piers: a pivot pier at the center and a rest bent at each end. The cap of the pivot pier measures 24’ long, 24’ wide, and 5’ high with 2’ chamfered corners. The top of the cap is approximately 8’-8” above mean sea level. The cap is supported by sixteen, 20” x 20” piles spaced 6’-8” on center. The four center piles are vertical, whereas the twelve perimeter piles are battered outward at an approximate 14 degree angle. On top of the cap is the turning machinery for the swing span (Photo Nos. 8, 9). The two rest bents are identical to each other (Photo No. 10). Each has an L-shaped cap with approximate overall dimensions of 27’-6” in length, 5’ in width, and 5’-9” in height. The vertical part of the ‘L,’ or the wall, forms the outer part of the cap. The horizontal portion of the cap has two wedges that support the end of the swing span while it is in the closed position (Photo No. 11). Each rest bent is supported by seven, 20” x 20” piles, three to the inner side and four to the outer side. The three inner piles (on the pivot pier side) and the two outer end piles are battered outward at an approximate 9.5 degree angle; the two outer middle piles are vertical. The swing span crosses two 80’-wide channels, one to either side of the pivot pier. The north channel is for west-bound watercraft, and the south channel is for east-bound watercraft. Each channel is framed by arced wood fenders that help protect the bridge from boats passing through the channels. The north fender for the north channel is approximately 160’ in length and the south fender for the south channel is roughly 120’ long. The other two fenders, each with a length of 320’, encase the pivot pier and are further supported by wood bracing. All of the fenders are comprised of four 10” x 10” wales bolstered by one-, three-, and seven-pile supports, and feature a 2’-wide catwalk and a red fender light at the center and each end. The Swing Bridge’s Control House (Photo Nos. 12, 13), which has approximate overall dimensions of 16’ in length, 13’ in width, and 10’-6” in height (including the pile cap), is located to the northeast of the swing span. It is constructed of reinforced concrete, features a flat roof, and sits on its own 20” x 20” concrete piles. A four-panel wood swing door with a five-light fanlight on the west elevation provides access to the interior. This elevation also contains one fixed window and one awning window


with a fixed pane above. The south elevation contains a ribbon of three, one-light fixed windows, and there are two, one-light fixed windows on the north elevation. The east elevation features one, one-light fixed window, one single hung sash window, and one awning window with a fixed pane above. Just above the window and door headers is a 2’-6”-deep concrete canopy that extends around the entire structure. The control station for the swing span sits in the southwest corner; along the remainder of the south wall and a portion of the east wall is a desk area (Figure Nos. A-1, A-2). The electrical equipment is clustered in the center of the north half (Figure No. A-3). The eight approach spans (four to each side of the swing span) are fixed concrete girders, each of which measures 48’ in length and 27’-1” in width and has a superstructure that consists of a 22’-wide, 7”-thick reinforced concrete slab roadway with 2’-6”-wide edges similar to the swing span, except made of concrete. The rails along the approach spans also are made of concrete. The superstructure of each approach span is supported by three concrete girders and two concrete diaphragms. The three longitudinal girders are about 46’-10” in length, 3’-4” in height, and have a maximum width of 1’-4”; they are spaced at 9’-6” on center. There are steel stabilizing bars connecting the three girders, which are encased in a concrete diaphragm measuring 2’-6” high and 7” wide. Supporting each set of four approach spans are one of the afore-described swing span rest bents (Photo No. 14), three intermediate bents, and one end bent. Each intermediate bent consists of a 24’-long, 3’-wide, 3’-high cap supported by three 20” x 20” piles spaced at 9’-6” on center. The center pile is vertical, whereas the two end piles are battered outward at an approximate 9.5 degree angle. The top of the cap has a 20’-4”-long, 6”-deep recess in which the girders rest. The end bents are partially embedded within the abutments. Each has a cap with approximate overall dimensions of 40’ in length, 4’ in width, and 9’-7” in height. The cap has an irregular cross section, with a 22’-long, 1’-wide outer ledge for the roadway and a 20’-4”-long and 2’-wide inner recess for the girders. The cap is supported by five 20” x 20” piles; the center and end piles are battered outward at an approximate 14 degree angle and the other two are vertical. The Swing Bridge’s end abutments (Photo No. 15) are mirror images of one another. Each five-sided abutment measures roughly 120’ in length and 90’ in width, overall. It is comprised of a concrete sheet bulkhead supported by 20’-, 25’-, and 30’-long pile tie-backs. A sand-cement riprap covers the sloped sides of the abutments between the cap of the end bent and the bulkhead, whereas the top is planted with grass.


History: The Calusa were the earliest inhabitants of Florida’s southwest coast, with

the islands of Charlotte Bay serving as the northern boundary of their territory. With the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s, the Spanish Crown never established a permanent European settlement in Charlotte Bay; however, by the early 1700s, Cuban fishermen began to harvest its rich waters, curing the fish and shipping it to Cuba and other Caribbean ports. These fishermen established numerous seasonal camps, known as Fishing Ranchos, along the southwest coast of Florida throughout the eighteenth century, which evolved into permanent settlements by the early nineteenth century. It is estimated that by the 1830s, a dozen such ranchos existed in the Bay, employing up to 600 people.2 Most of these ranchos were closed upon annexation of Florida by the United States in 1821 and the onset of the Seminole Wars (occurring between the 1820s through 1850s), returning on a lesser scale in the mid 1850s.3 Fishing continued to fuel the development of Gasparilla Island in the nineteenth century. The first recorded permanent ‘modern’ pioneer settlement on Gasparilla Island, Peacon’s Fish Ranch, was established in the 1870s at the north end of the island. This settlement functioned under the Fishing Rancho model, by catching fish, then salting and curing it for export to Key West, Cuba, and northern markets; Peacon’s Fish Ranch operated until about 1916.4 The economic model of the fishing village, and others like it in the Charlotte Bay area was completely changed by the arrival of the Florida Southern Railway to Punta Gorda in 1886. The arrival of the railroad prompted the Punta Gorda Ice and Power Company to construct an ice-manufacturing plant, which allowed for fish to be exported fresh to northern markets. In 1881 phosphate was discovered in the Peace River Valley. This discovery led to the transformation of Boca Grande Pass at the south end of Gasparilla Island into a major deep-water port; the port was in full operation by 1912. The Unites States Congress appropriated $35,000 for the construction of a lighthouse on the southern tip of Gasparilla Island to control the increase in shipping traffic on the pass. The lighthouse was completed a year later in 1890.5 The economic development around the island persuaded Albert Gilchrist to file a plat on January 29, 1897

2 Marilyn Hoeckel and Theodore Vanltallie, Images of America: Boca Grande (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2000), 7. 3 Lindsey Williams and U.S. Cleveland, Our Fascinating Past (Punta Gorda: Charlotte Harbor Area Historical Society, 1993), 35. 4 Hoeckel and Vanltallie, Boca Grande, 8. 5 Hoeckel and Vanltallie, Boca Grande, 17.


establishing the town of Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island; however, the town plans would remain unrealized for over a decade.6 In 1905, Peter Bradley and his company, the American Agricultural Chemical Company, extended rail lines to Gasparilla Island to carry the Charlotte Harbor & Northern Railway (CHNR). This line was in service by 1907, and trains began to arrive on the island in 1908 linking Port Boca Grande to Arcadia. Bradley revived the 1897 plat for the town and formed the Boca Grande Land Company on April 29, 1907.7 The arrival of the railroad and Bradley’s development of the town was followed in 1909 by the construction of the Gasparilla Inn (enlarged in 1912 and 1915), a post office in 1910, and two icehouses in 1914, all built by the CHNR or its subsidiaries.8 Access to the island was completely transformed by the CHNR, which in addition to a ferry system through the bay, transported phosphate, supplies, and tourists to the island. For roughly 60 years, Gasparilla Island maintained a community of fishermen at the north end and a community of phosphate and railroad terminal workers at the south end, while serving as a winter retreat for wealthy northerners, locally known as ‘beachfronters.’ According to legend, Kingsmoor Johnson was the first resident of Boca Grande to purchase an automobile, a Ford Model T, and bring it to the island in the early 1920s. By the middle of the decade, there were roughly fifteen cars on the island. Around this time, a Lee County politician, Harry M. Stringfellow, decided he wanted to build a road/bridge to Gasparilla Island like he had done to Pine Island. Although he received tentative approval from the state in 1924, the project never came to fruition. Some local historians have postulated that Peter B. Bradley, president of the CHNR/owner of the Gasparilla Inn/general benefactor of Gasparilla Island, led the opposition because of his dislike for cars.9

6 Mikki Hartig, National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Downtown Boca Grande Historic District, on file at Historical & Architectural Research Services, Sarasota, Florida. 7 Hartig, Downtown Boca Grande Historic District. 8 Hoeckel and Vanltallie, Boca Grande, 27-28; Hartig, Downtown Boca Grande Historic District. 9 Don Carroll, “Bridge over Troubled Water,” talk given on February 19, 2003, as part of the Boca Grande Historical Society History Bytes series, transcript on file, Boca Grande Historical Society & Museum, Boca Grande, Florida; Robert F. Fischer, “A Bridge to Somewhere,” talk given on February 25, 2009, as part of the Boca Grande Historical Society History Bytes series, video on file, Boca Grande Historical Society & Museum, Boca Grande, Florida.


In 1926, Joseph Spadero an Italian-American from New York, moved to Boca Grande. He subsequently purchased most of the land south of 1st Street, where he started construction of the Boca Grande Hotel and golf course as a rival to the Gasparilla Inn. As a businessman who catered to wealthy tourists, he also believed a road/bridge to the island would make it easier for people to get there. Unfortunately, being new to the area, Spadero had no allies in the community, or local and state governments, to help push his plan through.10 In the meantime, William C. Sprott, an entrepreneur from Polk County, moved to Gasparilla Island. Privately promoting the idea of a ferry between the mainland and the island, Sprott purchased land in Placida, at the base of the railroad tracks, and in Boca Grande, opposite 35th Street on the Bayou. He also purchased a small barge capable of carrying one car, and began to operate a ferry circa 1929. In 1930, he invested in a bigger barge and incorporated the Boca Grande Ferry Company.11 Circa 1949, Spadero allied with Sam Schuckman and Robert Baynard (president of the Venice-Nokomis Bank), and on June 7 of that year, incorporated the Florida Bridge Company with Baynard listed as president. The intent of the company was to construct a causeway from mainland Florida to Gasparilla Island. Because the causeway would cross Placida Harbor/Gasparilla Sound, which had been part of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway since 1949, the causeway would require a moveable bridge-what became known as the Boca Grande Swing Bridge-to allow larger sea vessels to pass. Early in 1950, the company applied for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which was granted in May of that year. It was during this application process that the residents of Gasparilla Island first learned of the plans for the causeway, upsetting most of the wealthy northerners with winter homes and many of the year-round inhabitants who opposed such a project. The dispute expanded in July of that year when the company announced it would submit an application to the state’s Railroad and Public Utilities Commission for a franchise by August 5th. The opposition began to circulate petitions to stop it. However, other residents, particularly local businessmen, supported the plans.12 Spadero and Schuckman had begun to secure the right-of-way needed for the project,

10 Fischer, “A Bridge to Somewhere.” 11 Fischer, “A Bridge to Somewhere.” 12 William R. Spear, “Bridge Plan Arouses Boca Grande Controversy,” The Evening Independent, July 18, 1950, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19500718&id=JwFQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=elUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4435,2369658; Carroll, “Bridge over Troubled Water;” Fischer, “A Bridge to Somewhere.”


including the purchase of the land owned by the Boca Grande Ferry Company. The Ferry Company itself remained in the hands of the Sprott family, who operated the ferry service until the causeway opened. Eventually, the Florida Bridge Company and its supporters won the battle, and in 1952, the company secured a fifty-year franchise lease from Florida to build the causeway and collect tolls. Sadly, Spadero passed away in October of that year, barely living long enough to see construction start on his project.13 Hardaway Construction Company began dredging operations for the Boca Grande Causeway in 1952; this work was necessary to form the intermediate islands that would carry the road and support the Swing Bridge and the two fixed concrete relief bridges. The cost of this effort was estimated at $250,000. Construction of the causeway began around September 1955 at an estimated cost of $702,000; funds for the project came from a $1 million first mortgage and revenue bond issue initially advertised in August 1955. The original estimated completion date was early 1956, but court suits involving right-of-way acquisition caused delays in the work. By the end of June 1958, the causeway was open to traffic, although the official opening ceremony did not occur until July 4th.14 When first constructed, tolls were collected in both directions via a mobile toll station that would be wheeled onto the oncoming lane of the Swing Bridge; rates varied by the type of automobile. For a standard car, the rate was 75 cents for the vehicle and driver and 10 cents for each additional passenger; motorbikes were charged 25 cents; buses and trailers cost $2 for the vehicle plus 10 cents for each passenger; trucks under 2 tons were charged $1.50 plus 10 cents for each passenger; and truck 2 tons and greater cost 50 cents per ton plus 10 cents for each passenger. The bridge tender was responsible for customer service, and if someone wanted to purchase a discount pass, they had to go to the Control House. Aerial photographs available from the State Universities Libraries of Florida’s Publication of Archival Library & Museum Materials website indicate that

13 Carroll, “Bridge over Troubled Water;” Fischer, “A Bridge to Somewhere.” 14 Carroll, “Bridge over Troubled Water;” Paul Davis, “$1 Million Span to Link Boca Grande to Mainland,” St. Petersburg Times, August 20, 1955, Boca Grande Bridge Work will Resume in few Weeks,” Sarasota Herald-Tribune, November 22, 1955, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19551122&id=Iz4eAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CL8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1830,5840239; “Boca Grande Bridge, Causeway are Open,” Sarasota Journal, June 26, 1958, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1798&dat=19580626&id=MQIdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4YoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5069,2500877.


a separate toll house was constructed at the north end of the bridge by 1970.15 Between 1961 and 1978, the Florida Bridge Company attempted to sell the causeway to Charlotte County four times, but the county turned down the offers. This, as well as the passing away of Shuckman in 1982, led to the Company’s decision to sell the causeway privately.16 A local group began to collect money to purchase the structure for roughly $2 million, but was eventually outbid by Ben Motes and his company Gaspar, Inc., which offered $3.3 million. Although some locals thought he had paid too much, it was around that time that Boca Grande and Gasparilla Island saw a large increase in automobile traffic because the CHNR ceased all operations in 1981, and more people were buying property on the island. During Gaspar, Inc.’s ownership, Motes and the locals weathered many conflicts over the Swing Bridge: Motes wanted to maximize his profits from the tolls while the users wanted him to spend money to ensure the reliability and safety of the Swing Bridge, which was becoming more prone to breakdowns.17 In the early 1990s, the Swing Bridge began to experience several mechanical problems, including multiple failures to open or close. This prompted local residents to once again attempt to purchase the causeway. Unable to reach an agreement with Motes, the group decided to go to the state and request the right to operate the franchise in perpetuity. After nearly three years of coordination with county and state politicians, the Florida Legislature passed Special Act 96-507, creating the GIBA, an independent special tax district that would take over operations and maintenance of the causeway in perpetuity when the original franchise expired. As established, the GIBA’s Board of Supervisors was comprised of five, publicly-elected voting supervisors and four, appointed non-voting supervisors; the board hires an executive director to manage daily operations.18

15 Davis, “$1 Million Span;” Kathy Verrico, personal communication (email) with Patricia Slovinac, April 3, 2014; State Universities Libraries of Florida’s Publication of Archival Library & Museum Materials, Aerial photographs collection, http://ufdc.ufl.edu/aerials/?n=palmm. 16 The sale actually was for the remaining years on the 50-year lease granted by the Florida Legislature. GIBA, “History of the Boca Grande Swing Bridge-Key Events & Maintenance History,” no date, on file, GIBA Administrative Offices, Boca Grande, Florida. 17 Carroll, “Bridge over Troubled Water. 18 Florida Legislature, “Chapter 2000-425, House Bill No. 1547,” June 5, 2000, http://laws.flrules.org/2000/425; Carroll, “Bridge over Troubled Water.”


Rather than wait until May 2002 to gain control of the causeway, the GIBA approached Motes with an offer to purchase the lease on the road for the estimated amount of money Motes would have made through tolls between 1997 and May 2002. After some negotiation, the GIBA officially purchased the causeway in January 1998.19 Following the purchase of the causeway, the GIBA spent roughly $5 million to refurbish the facility.20 In 1996-1997, the GIBA had hired the Florida-based engineering firm of Kissinger Campo & Associates to inspect and evaluate both the road and its bridges. This survey led to a list of recommended repairs and renovations to extend the facility’s life span for an additional fifteen years. From July to September 1998, the Swing Bridge received major mechanical, electrical, and structural repairs. The work included the replacement of 225 deteriorated wood fender pilings and the restoration of all electrical equipment (gears, brakes, motors). Also, the two main bull gears were replaced; these had to be specially fabricated over a period of three months. The following year, GIBA repaired its concrete structure and its steel and concrete deck, repainted the main swing span with a rust resistant paint, and installed fiberglass piling jackets on all three bridges along the causeway.21 In 2002, the wedge components on the Swing Bridge were replaced and four new drive couplings were installed. The overhaul included the construction of a new three-lane toll plaza to the north of the Swing Bridge, which officially opened in 2001. About five years later, a new administrative building was constructed to the west of the toll plaza. From 2004 to 2005, a series of tests were conducted on the Causeway’s three bridges to determine their overall condition. The conclusion was that all three bridges needed to be replaced within fifteen years because of scouring, salt intrusion into the concrete piers, and safety issues. Subsequently, the GIBA hired Dyer, Riddle, Mills, and Precourt of Orlando, Florida, to design the new slab bridges, and Hardesty & Hanover to design the new Swing Bridge. The two concrete slab bridges were replaced in kind, but with higher clearances. The south bridge was the first to open to traffic in February 2013; the center bridge was opened to traffic in August 2013. The Swing Bridge also will be replaced in kind with a higher clearance; construction of the new bridge began in January 2014.

19 Carroll, “Bridge over Troubled Water;” GIBA, “History of the Boca Grande Swing Bridge;” (Hoekel and VanItallie 2000). 20 Carroll, “Bridge over Troubled Water.” 21 GIBA, “History of the Boca Grande Swing Bridge.”


Bridge Operations: The Boca Grande Swing Bridge is part of the Boca Grande Causeway

system, which aside from the Swing Bridge also includes 2.5 miles of Charlotte County Road 771 and two fixed concrete bridges. This causeway serves as the only land link between mainland Florida and North, Cole, and Gasparilla islands. The causeway system receives all of its funding via user tolls. The tolls are collected from southbound traffic only at a toll plaza to the north of the Swing Bridge. The Swing Bridge spans Placida Harbor/Gasparilla Sound, part of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The U.S. Coast Guard specifies the rules for opening the span. Between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm, there are timed openings for the bridge, either every 30 minutes (weekdays) or every 15 minutes (weekends and federal holidays); outside of those hours, the span opens on request. However, due to safety reasons, if wind speeds exceed 40 miles per hour, the bridge remains closed. A bridge tender is on duty twenty-four hours a day, every day. The Swing Bridge does have a strict weight limit, established in 2004: 20 tons maximum gross weight for three-axle vehicles or 17 tons maximum gross weight for two-axles; a weigh scale is located at the toll plaza to the north of the Swing Bridge.22 Originally, the swing span opened on demand twenty-four hours a day. In an effort to reduce the number of openings and extend the life of the bridge, the GIBA negotiated with the U.S. Coast Guard to switch to timed openings during the day.23

To prepare to open the swing span, the bridge tender sounds the horn to warn automobile traffic that they are about to be stopped. Then, the traffic control gates on each side of the swing span are lowered. The wedges holding the swing span are released, and the bridge rotates 90 degrees clockwise. Five minutes later, the horns sound again, and the bridge tender begins to close the span.

Sources: ACI. “Cultural Resources Assessment Technical Memorandum, Boca Grande Swing Bridge

(North Bridge) Replacement, Charlotte County, Florida.” Survey report, GIBA, 2012.

22 Title 33, Part 117, Code of Federal Regulations, http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?rgn=div5;node=33%3A1.0.1.10.61#_top; GIBA, “Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority (GIBA)-Fact Sheet,” May 2010, on file, GIBA Administrative Offices, Boca Grande, Florida; GIBA, “Boca Grande Swing Bridge Trivia,” no date, on file, GIBA Administrative Offices, Boca Grande, Florida; Gavin Off, “Cadillac with Big Fins,” June 2004, newspaper article on file, GIBA Administrative Offices, Boca Grande, Florida. 23 Off, “Cadillac with Big Fins.”


ACI. “Section 106 Consultation Case Study Report for the Boca Grande Swing Bridge (North

Bridge) Replacement, Charlotte County, Florida.” Report, GIBA, 2013. Carroll, Don. “Bridge over Troubled Water.” Talk given on February 19, 2003, as part of the

Boca Grande Historical Society History Bytes series. Transcript on file, Boca Grande Historical Society & Museum, Boca Grande, Florida.

Fischer, Robert F. “A Bridge to Somewhere.” Talk given on February 25, 2009, as part of the

Boca Grande Historical Society History Bytes series. Video on file, Boca Grande Historical Society & Museum, Boca Grande, Florida.

Hartig, Mikki. National Register of Historic Places Nomination: Downtown Boca Grande

Historic District. On file at Historical & Architectural Research Services, Sarasota, Florida.

Hoeckel, Marilyn, and Theodore B. VanItallie. Images of America: Boca Grande. Charleston,

SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2003. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, Jacksonville. “Plans for Building Causeway and Draw Span Bridge

and Relief Bridges between Placida, Florida and Gasparilla Island, Charlotte County, Florida.” Architectural drawings, Florida Bridge Company, January 1956. On file, GIBA Administrative Offices, Boca Grande, Florida.

Williams, Lindsey, and U.S. Cleveland. Our Fascinating Past. Punta Gorda: Charlotte Harbor

Area Historical Society, 1993. Historian: Patricia Slovinac, Architectural Historian Archaeological Consultants, Inc. (ACI) 8110 Blaikie Court, Suite A Sarasota, Florida 34240 August 2014 Project Information: The documentation of the Boca Grande Swing Bridge was conducted in

2013-2014 for the GIBA by ACI, under contract to Hardesty & Hanover, Sunrise, Florida, and in accordance with the Memorandum of Agreement among the United States Coast Guard, the Florida State Historic Preservation Officer, and the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority regarding the Boca Grande Swing Bridge (North Bridge) Replacement Project, Charlotte County, Florida, signed September 2013. Because of the constricted nature of the Control House interior, large format photographs could not be taken. In lieu of large scale photographs, digital photos were taken, which are included in the appendix. The field team


consisted of architectural historian, Patricia Slovinac (ACI), and independent photographer, Penny Rogo. Assistance in the field was provided by GIBA staff. The written narrative was prepared by Ms. Slovinac, with contributions by Jorge Danta, ACI, and was edited by Marion Almy, ACI Project Manager; Kathy Verrico, Executive Director of GIBA; Henri Hinson, Hardesty & Hanover. The photographs and negatives were processed by Zebra Color, Inc., an independent photography/processing studio.


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APPENDIX A: Interior Photos of the Boca Grande Swing Bridge Control House


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Figure A-1. Interior of the Control House showing control station and desk, facing southeast.


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Figure A-2. Detail view of the control station, facing south.


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Figure A-3. View of the electrical cabinets in the Control House, facing southeast.


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Figure A-4. View of the interior of one of the electrical cabinets, facing east.


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APPENDIX B: Architectural Drawings of the Boca Grande Swing Bridge


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Figure B-1. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Plans for Building Causeway and Draw Span Bridge and Relief Bridges,” Title Sheet, August 1965.


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Figure B-2. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Plan & Elevation of Draw Span, August 1965,

Sheet 35 of 60.


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Figure B-3. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Typical Intermediate, Tower & End Bents, August 1965,

Sheet 37 of 60.


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Figure B-4. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Pivot Pier, Bent No. 26 and Bent No. 28, August 1965,

Sheet 38 of 60.


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Figure B-5. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Typical Concrete Girder Span, August 1965,

Sheet 39 of 60.


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Figure B-6. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Toll Span & Canopy, August 1965,

Sheet 41 of 60.


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Figure B-7. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Control House, August 1965,

Sheet 43 of 60.


Page 27

Figure B-8. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Fender System, August 1965,

Sheet 44 of 60.


Page 28

Figure B-9. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Fender System, August 1965,

Sheet 45 of 60.


Page 29

Figure B-10. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Plan and Section of Swing Span, August 1965,

Sheet 48 of 60.


Page 30

Figure B-11. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Turning Machinery Layout, August 1965,

Sheet 53 of 60.


Page 31

Figure B-12. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Wedge Machinery Layout, August 1965,

Sheet 54 of 60.


Page 32

Figure B-13. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Wedge Machinery Details, August 1965,

Sheet 55 of 60.


Page 33

Figure B-14. Reynolds, Smith & Hills, “Placida Bridges & Causeway for Florida Bridge Company, Charlotte County, Florida,” Slope Protection, August 1965,

Sheet unknown.

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