Florida Friday; Deep Lake and the Harrisburg to Everglades City Railroad

Back in 2013 I checked out a ghost town in Collier County on Florida State Road 29 which along the Harrisburg to Everglades City Railroad.

The name Deep Lake refers to a 90 foot sink hole on the eastern side of FL 29 which apparently is the largest south of Lake Okeechobee. Deep Lake is located in the middle of the Big Cypress Swamp and was part of Lee County until Collier County split away in 1923. Deep Lake was originally settled in 1900 by investors looking to built grapefruit ranch. The investors built a small railroad line to transport the grapefruit from Deep Lake south to Everglades City. Said railroad line can be seen on the 1916 Lee County map.

1916 Lee County Map

By 1928 the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad purchased the rails between Everglades and Deep Lake. The ACL expanded the line north to Harrisburg which was a rail siding located near Palmdale and the current junction of US 27/FL 29. The expanded line can be seen on the 1932 Collier County Map.

1932 Collier County Map

The Everglades City to Harrisburg line was partially abandoned in 1957 between Everglades City north to Sunniland with the rest of the line sometime in the 1980s according to abandonedrails.com.

Everglades City to Harrisburg Railroad

At some point a prison complex was built in Deep Lake. The prison ended up being a FDOT maintenance facility which was abandoned in 2002. The prison complex is located being a fence line which can be seen from FL 29.

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Breezewood - The Rise and Decline of a Highway Rest Stop

It's the Pennsylvania Turnpike Interchange most people hate - and with a passion. The Breezewood Interchange - a junction of two Interstates (70 & 76) that became complicated due to archaic rules, rural politics and power, and an unwillingness to change. At its romanticized best, this small unincorporated community of under 100 residents is a reminder of travel days of the 1950s-1970s; at its worst, it is a gradually dying relic of old motels and services that drivers are forced to slow down and drive through on their way to bigger and more modern destinations.

The Breezewood Interchange is an exception to the rule in the Interstate Highway System. Depending on your direction, Interstate 70 joins or leaves the Pennsylvania Turnpike (Interstate 76) here. However, unlike nearly every Interstate junction in the United States - Interstate 70 must traverse on a roughly 1/4 mile stretch of US 30. A four lane highway complete with traffic lights, center turn lanes to cross traffi…

Just a good old fashioned roadgeeking trip

2020 as we all know has been a year unlike any other. A number of planned trips for my family and for work have obviously been shelved. So what can cure that itch to get out and explore. For me, it was a simple four and a half hour loop north of my home.
This was for me a good old fashioned roadgeek trip - an explore trip on some roads I hadn't checked out before. In addition to checking out a few towns along some roads I have been on. No expectations but the hope of discovering some new things and learn about them.
Route: Local Roads to NC 3 , NC 801, US 601, US 64, NC 901, NC 115, local roads home.
Part of the goal for the trip was to hopefully get additional towns and communities for the Carolina Crossroads project. Fortunately, the trip didn't disappoint. For the entire set on flickr - head here.

Bear Poplar was one of the more interesting community names. Just down the road from here was a nice surprise. The Mount Ulla community barn quilt is posted on the side o…

California State Route 283; former US Route 101 over the Rio Dell Bridge

This week we examine one of California's shortest State Highways; California State Route 283. California State Route 283 includes the 1941 Rio Dell Bridge and is a former segment of US Route 101. The photo below is the Rio Dell Bridge after the 1964 Christmas Floods which wiped out the northern approach span.

California State Route 283 ("CA 283") is a 0.36 Mile State Highway between modern US Route 101/Redwood Highway and the community of Rio Dell in Humboldt County. The key feature of CA 283 is the 1941 Rio Dell Bridge which was the second alignment of US Route 101. The Rio Dell Bridge connected Scotia north over the Eel River via Wildwood Avenue to Rio Dell. The Rio Dell Bridge is a steel truss design which 1,643.1 feet in length. The Rio Dell Bridge is also known as; North Scotia Bridge, Eel River Bridge, Scotia-Rio Dell Bridge, Albert Stanwood Murphy Memorial Bridge, and the Eagle Prairie Bridge. CA 283 is unsigned presently ranks as the second shortest State…

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