::  Venetian Causeway
Bridges and Road Right-of-Way from Miami to Miami Beach
Years Built: 1925-1926
Engineer/Builder: Harvey Stanley, Engineer; Raymond Concrete Pile Company, Contractor; James M. Thompson, Superintendent
Date Designated: 1990

a. When the Venetian Causeway was first envisioned, the islands the bridge was to connect did not exist. Beginning in 1922, the Biscayne Bay improvement Company sold lots for underwater plots with contracts specifying that the buyer would receive land on an island that had been dredged, filled, and improved. Construction of the Venetian Islands proceeded quickly and work on the Venetian Causeway began in 1925, consisting of viaducts, fill, and drawbridges. The guardrail design is the most striking feature: square central units have radiating diagonals that form an “X” pattern allowing a view of the bay. The Venetian Causeway was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.

b. Historic postcard of the Venetian Causeway, circa 1926.