This what the Overseas Highway is all about. When it was built, this span connecting Marathon to Little Duck Key was one of the longest bridges in existence, although the new bridge is only 6.79 miles long. Once a railroad bridge, the original structure was converted into an automobile highway, and now a pedestrian/bike path that runs right alongside the shiny new road to the south. Because it would be expensive to maintain the whole thing, and probably for other political, economic, and engineering reasons of which I'm unaware, there's only 2 miles of walkable bridge branching off the Marathon side and heading southwest. The drive is inevitable if you're heading west of Marathon, or if you miss your turn for the Sunset Grille and Raw Bar. The walk is worth the stop. With a light breeze and only the sound of cars in the highway, boats on the water, and calm chatter of passers by, this was one of my favorite walks to date. And if you're really up for it, at the end of the 2 miles you can descend a ramp to historic Pigeon Key and look at some buildings and probably some artifacts from times when boats were the only way to island hop around here.
Love locks on the guard rail of the pedestrian bridge. Only a few of the old railroad ties used to make the guard rails had holes in them, and they all had locks attached.
Modern locks
Antique locks
Pigeon Key, I rename you Pelican Key.
Pelican in flight just north of the pedway. No magnification; this guy was only a few yards away. And there were several pelicans gliding the same way throughout my hike: about eye level, west to east, and straight alongside the bridge. Must have been something about the airflow around the bridge. I only saw one pelican going the other direction, and she was also just north of the bridge.
A building on Pigeon Key as seen from the walkway. I think it was the Paint Foreman's House.
End of the line.
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