Right in front of you, the Broadway Bridge sweeps upward in a gentle curve above the Halifax River, flanked by soft coral-colored railings, blue mosaic panels, and lamp posts proudly waving the Stars and Stripes-just follow the road as it rises toward the sky.
Let’s travel back over a century, to a time when the sound of streetcars was the pulse of Daytona’s growing city life. In 1912, Michael Sholtz, a determined railroad man with dreams as big as Florida’s afternoon thunderstorms, hatched a plan: a bridge connecting Daytona, Daytona Beach, and Seabreeze-all separate cities back then-right across the Halifax River. They simply called it “the concrete bridge,” probably because “Broadway Bridge” would have made it sound too much like it should star in its own musical. Soon, connecting Broadway Avenue-now International Speedway Boulevard-the bridge earned a flashier name, and a whole lot more traffic.
By the late 1940s, the old bridge was creaking and groaning under the load of cars. So, the city called in reinforcements: the Tidewater Construction Corporation, who set to work on a sleek, four-lane drawbridge-complete with bascule leaves that lifted for passing boats. On opening day in 1948, locals gathered to watch it rise and fall like a giant’s eyelid. The state tried to name it the Carleton-Blank Bridge, but let’s be honest, nobody could resist calling it the Broadway Bridge.
Yet, as decades rolled by, even that mighty drawbridge had its quirks-jams, noisy machinery, and the odd stubborn seagull sitting in the way. So, in 2000, the city decided to aim higher-literally. Construction began on the bridge you’re standing before now, rising gracefully to 65 feet, decked out with colorful mosaics of manatees and dolphins. Since opening in 2001, the Broadway Bridge hasn’t just moved cars and people; it’s become a symbol of Daytona’s spirit. It’s part art, part engineering, and all Florida sunshine.
