Gribblenation

Along the boundary of the Osceola-Polk County in Central Florida exists a portion of brick roadway known as the "Old Tampa Highway."  The Old Tampa Highway was once part the Western Route of the Dixie Highway and early US 17/92. The Old Tampa Highway actually is somewhat lengthy segment of highway that still exists from the outskirts of Kissimmee in Osceola County west to Davenport in Polk County.  Most of Old Tampa Highway is paved and largely is lined with modern residential structures.  Near Reedy Creek the route of Old Tampa Highway is bisected by a closed bridge west towards County Route 532/Osceola-Polk Line Road.  This has led to an odd circumstance where a small part of Old Tampa Highway on the Osceola County side is still maintained as a local through route with a brick surface. Pulling off of Osceola-Polk Line Road onto Old Tampa Highway the asphalt surface quickly gives way to brick.  Old Tampa Highway is signed with a 30 MPH limit and ...

The fourth and final major water crossing I drove in the Tampa Bay on my recent trip was US Route 92 over the Gandy Bridge. The Gandy Bridge is a crossing of Old Tampa Bay carrying US Route 92 from St. Petersburg east to Tampa.  While the name "Gandy Bridge" has always been used by structures at said crossing the current roadway used by US 92 consists of the third and fourth bridge spans. The first Gandy Bridge was promoted by George S. Gandy Sr. in 1922 as a tolled crossing of Old Tampa Bay.  Financing the original Gandy Bridge proved successful given it would shorten travel distance from St. Petersburg to Tampa from 43 miles down to only 19 miles.  The original Gandy Bridge began construction in 1922 and opened in April of 1924.  The original Gandy Bridge featured a 75 foot long bascule draw span, tolls were $0.75 cents with an additional $0.10 cents for each passenger.  When the original Gandy Bridge opened it was the longest toll bridge in the world s...