Midpoint Memorial Bridge

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Midpoint Memorial Bridge

Official name	Midpoint Memorial Bridge
Carries	CR 884
Crosses	Caloosahatchee River
Locale	Fort Myers and Cape Coral, Florida
Maintained by	Lee County Department of Transportation
Design	Concrete Girder Bridge
Total length	1.25 miles
Width	80 feet
Vertical clearance	55 Feet
Opening date	October 19, 1997
Toll	$2 (Westbound traffic only)
Coordinates	26°36'2.58"N/ 81°54'2.60"W

The Midpoint Memorial Bridge (also locally known as the Midpoint Bridge) is a bridge located in Southwest Florida. It spans the Caloosahatchee River, connecting Fort Myers and Cape Coral. It is a four-lane fixed span one and one-quarter mile long. The bridge is so-named because its placement situates it roughly halfway between the Cape Coral Bridge to the south, and the Caloosahatchee Bridge to the north. It carries County Road 884, which is known as Colonial Boulevard on the Fort Myers Side, and Veterans Parkway on the Cape Coral Side.

The bridge was first proposed in the 1970s, but construction was delayed for many years, largely due to opposition in Fort Myers. After a series of court battles, reaching the Florida Supreme Court, construction began in 1995, and the bridge opened for traffic on October 19, 1997. The Midpoint Bridge was built at the same location as where the Cape Coral Bridge was originally planned to be built. ^[1].

The Midpoint Memorial Bridge was constructed as part of the extension of County Road 884 (Colonial Boulevard) into Cape Coral. Before construction, Colonial Boulevard terminated at State Road 867 (McGregor Boulevard). In Cape Coral, County Road 884 (Veterans Parkway) now terminates at State Road 78 (Pine Island Road) and includes an overpass over the intersection with County Road 867A (Del Prado Boulevard). The addition of the Midpoint Memorial Bridge resulted in several ancillary road projects in Fort Myers as well. Overpasses were constructed over McGregor Boulevard and at the intersection with US 41 (Cleveland Avenue). Veterans Parkway, the Midpoint Bridge, and Colonial Boulevard (which intersects with Interstate 75) is planned to be part of the Bi-County Transportation Corridor, and will ultimately form a semi-circumferential freeway around Fort Myers and Cape Coral.

The bridge is owned by the Lee County Department of Transportation. There is currently a two dollar toll in effect for westbound vehicles only, and there is no toll for eastbound traffic. Florida's statewide "Sunpass" prepaid electronic toll collection system is accepted on the Midpoint Bridge, along with Lee County's "Leeway" prepaid toll system, which is also used on the Cape Coral Bridge, and the Sanibel Causeway.

On the Cape Coral side of the bridge, there is a replica of the statue from the Marine Corps War Memorial in Rosslyn, Virginia (which is just outside of Washington, D.C.). The statue depicts the six U.S Marines raising the American flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima.

On the Fort Myers side, construction has begun on a new Vietnam War Memorial.