Hialeah-Miami Springs Vertical Lift Bridge - Hialeah, Florida, USA - Vertical Lift Bridges on Waymarking.com

Located crossing the Miami River Canal is the Hialeah-Miami Springs vertical lift bridge. Originally located on the Miami River Canal at NW 36th Street, the Hialeah-Miami Springs Vertical Lift Bridge was erected in 1927 to provide much needed access to the growing cities of Hialeah and Miami Springs. The bridge was designed, fabricated, and installed by the Champion Bridge Company of Ohio. In 1954, this bridge was transported by barge down the Miami River Canal to its present location and served as a companion structure to the nearby Miami River Canal Warren Pony Swing Span Bridge. Due to the damming of the Miami River in the 1940’s, the bridge’s vertical lift truss span no longer needed to operate in order for boats to travel through the waterway. Eventually, in 1983, the bridge’s 125,00-pound counterweights, which helped hoist the truss span, were removed.

The Hialeah-Miami Springs Vertical Lift Bridge is 132 feet long and 32 feet wide. This popular type of movable bridge is characterized by its truss span that is moved upwards by a system of cable and pulleys, called sheaves, and large counterweights. This unusual structure is the only bridge in the State of Florida with a Parker truss design, which features a polygonal top chord that changed pitches at every panel point. The historic Hialeah-Miami Springs Vertical Lift Bridge is also one of four vertical lift bridges existing in Florida. This bridge has been designated as a historic site by the cities of Miami Springs and Hialeah. It is the oldest of Florida’s last four surviving lift bridges in Florida. The others being the Main Street Vertical Lift Bridge in Duval County, the Hillsborough River Lift Bridge in Hillsborough County, and the Billy Creek Lift Bridge in Lee County.

Visit Instructions:
1) After you've found a vertical lift bridge, go visit it, get the coordinates, a picture or two of it, and if it is in use or not still as a lift bridge.
Then log it and post your pictures! At least one of the photos must be of you and your GPS there with the bridge in the background. (No old vacation shots or photos off the internet!)
2) Include the coordinates, city/county/state/country and the name of the bridge (if it has one).
3) Include any interesting information about the structure

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   06/27/2020 BoomersOTR visited it