FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY, LITTLE RIVER SPUR BRIDGE

The Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway, established by Henry Morrison Flagler, was constructed along Florida’s east coast in the late 19th century. The FEC main line arrived in Miami by 1896, and extended farther south in 1926. The Little River Spur of the FEC Railway was constructed circa 1932 as a part of the South Little River Branch, a connection from the Little River station along the main line of the FEC Railway. It ran to a railyard in Hialeah, which housed an engine service area and roundhouse. The Little River Spur remained a freight line from the 1930s until it was abandoned in 2005. The Little River Spur between Southwest 12th Street and north of Northwest 7th Street is significant to the development of South Miami and to transportation in the region. Built in 1954, the railroad bridge crossing the Tamiami Canal was an integral feature of the Little River Spur. It was a beam and girder bridge, a common type utilized by the FEC Railway. The bridge was composed of steel I-beam stringers supported by wood bents and braces with steel caps. The tracks of the Little River Spur ran along the center of the bridge decking. The railroad tracks and bridge were removed in 2019 for the development of Ludlam Trail.