Preservation and Progress

Section 106 of the   National Historic Preservation Act of 1966   requires Federal agencies, such as FDOT, to consider the effects of any project on historic sites and properties. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and the public then both have an opportunity to weigh-in on these projects. Consultation with the ACHP helps Federal agencies identify the potential effects on historic properties and how they can avoid, minimize, or mitigate any of these adverse effects. An adverse effect diminishes characteristics of these sites for potential inclusion in the   National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) .

• Rehabilitation and restoration of historic bridges and roadways
• Relocating historic bridges for reuse in other settings
• Rerouting planned roadways or other projects to avoid archaeological or historic sites

Did you know that there are 8 different FDOT districts spanning the entire state? There are 7 regional districts that are responsible for projects across their counties. There is also 1 turnpike district that covers roadways from Ocala to Miami.

No matter the district, FDOT's mission is the same:

"The mission of the Florida Department of Transportation is to provide a safe statewide transportation system that promotes the efficient movement of people and goods, supports the state’s economic competitiveness, prioritizes Florida’s environment and natural resources, and preserves the quality of life and connectedness of the state’s communities."

In order to make travel within Florida safer and more efficient, FDOT undertakes projects such as highway construction, roadway resurfacing, bridge maintenance and repairs, safety initiatives, aviation advancements, seaport improvements, rail and transit enhancements, and responding to disasters.

Select Map Points or Project Descriptions to learn more about some of FDOT's interactions with Cultural Resources across the state.

Old State Road 1 (also known as the Old Spanish Trail or the Old Brick Road) runs parallel to US 90 just outside of Milton, FL for approximately 5.5 miles. This historic resource was added to the NRHP in 1994. The brick road was laid from 1919-1921 by the Florida State Road Department and the Southern Clay Manufacturing Company. It was the first section of paved highway in West Florida and as part of the "Old Spanish Trail" it connected West Florida to Jacksonville. On Labor Day 1921, 10,000 people attended the official opening of the road, which was completed at a cost of approximately $120,000 (or about $1.84 million today). This celebration included races, parades, and barbeques, and the event ended with dancing at midnight on the newly laid road. In 1926-1927, concrete shoulders were added to the brick road to make it a two lane road as car ownership and travel exploded across the country. The brick road was abandoned in 1955 when US 90 was constructed parallel just to the south.

Old SR1 is significant to the local community and to the state as part of Florida's first modern highway, helping drive tourism and expansion. Only 8 brick highways were still in existence in Florida in 1994 when the NRHP nomination was made, and Old SR1 is the longest and most intact of those. This brick road was preserved in place and repurposed as a recreational trail for local residents.

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The Aucilla River in north-central Florida once divided the territories of two separate Native American nations, with the Apalachee to the west of the river and the Timucuan to the east of the river. The long history in this area was revealed when planning to replace the Walker Springs Bridge that crosses the Aucilla River on the border of Jefferson and Taylor Counties. The bridge and right of way pass through two recorded precontact archaeological sites, and testing was done to ensure that bridge replacement would not have any adverse effects on these sites.

The site along the southern portion of the bridge was first recorded in 1982 when the original bridge was constructed. Diagnostic artifacts, including Bolen Beveled projectile points and Wakulla Check Stamped pottery, showed that this site had a long history of occupation, including from the Paleoindian (10,000 BC-8,500 BC), the Archaic (8,500-1,000 BC), Deptford (700-300 BC), and Weeden Island (AD 400-1000). It is located on a terrace on the southern side of the river and was listed as eligible for the NRHP because it has the potential to shed light on settlement patterns in the area over many different time periods. The site along the northern portion of the bridge was first recorded in 2021 when cultural resource testing was done ahead of the planned bridge replacement. No diagnostic artifacts were recovered from this precontact lithic site, but chert flakes and faunal remains were recovered. This site was found to have been heavily disturbed by previous road grading activities and thus isn't eligible for listing on the NRHP.

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Humans have long lived and explored the more than 30 springs along the Silver River just outside of modern-day Ocala. Native Florida Ancestors lived in the area at least 12,000 years ago. This collection of springs was listed as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1971. Silver Springs State Park includes what was once Historic Silver Springs. Historic Silver Springs operated as a privately-owned tourist attraction for over 130 years, growing in size and changing ownership before it became a State Park in 2013. Silver Springs State Park is a 4,000-acre park with a long history and is home to the Silver River Museum, the outdoor living history museum Florida Cracker village, and the well-known Silver Springs district, which was listed on the NRHP in 2019.

Starting in early 2024, FDOT will construct two new 8-foot-wide pedestrian boardwalks within Silver Springs State Park to connect trails. As both of these trails pass through known archaeological sites, FDOT consulted with the State Historic Preservation Officer, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Tribes, and archaeologists while planning this project. Archaeologists tested the land first, recovering over 12,000 artifacts! Based on their findings, FDOT was able to alter project plans in order to protect these prehistoric archaeological sites and minimize any negative effect on them.

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The Alexsuk site in Hernando County has a long history of human occupation and was discovered initially in 2001 when archaeologists were testing the land proposed for County Line Road improvements. This site was further explored in preparation for an extension of CR 578 and Ayers Road multiple times over the next 20 years. The result of this work was to alter the initial plans and move the roadway to avoid negatively impacting important parts of this incredible site that is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Archaeologists monitored road construction, meaning that they would watch any machinery breaking ground and look for indications of additional cultural materials - from prehistoric or historic artifacts, to even simple changes in the color of soil that could indicate past human presence. The town of Enville was built over part of the prehistoric site in the late 1800s, and the later Masaryktown would be built right next to it in the 1920s.

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This bridge was built in 1931 when the most popular selling vehicle was the Ford Model A which was less than 6 feet wide, so the lanes are only 10 feet wide. Modern lanes are 12 feet wide. The John Singletary bridge replaced an earlier steel bridge, and for fifty years has been a cause of concern for drivers in Fort Meade. Pedestrians crossing the bridge have only a small sidewalk to the north. The bridge is low-lying and prone to flooding.

The groundbreaking for this bridge replacement began in early November 2023 and the project is slated to be completed in late 2025. Elements of the original bridge will be donated to the local museum and displayed by the city at the entrance of the local recreational area. They will also serve as design inspiration for the new bridge's railings. Wildlife crossings will be added under the bridge, a pedestrian/cyclist lane will be created, and the roadway will be realigned to flatten an S-curve.

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Henry Flagler opened his overseas railroad in 1912, which was the first land access from Miami to Key West. It took 4 years to build, and during this time up to 400 workmen lived on Pigeon Key. Flagler's company sold the right-of-way to the state of Florida in 1935 after a terrible hurricane washed away many miles of railroad at Islamorada. The surface was restored, and the former railway opened as an automotive bridge in 1938. Until a new bridge was built in 1982, it was the only way to access Key West, as a single lane in each direction and no shoulder. The Florida Keys Overseas Highway was built adjacent to the pedestrian bridge on the ocean side in 1982.

The bridge was closed to vehicles in 2007 and fishermen in 2008. The railroad bridge was then restored in place to serve as a pedestrian walkway. Rails from the original 1912 railroad were repurposed as guardrails along the new pedestrian bridge. The top of the bridge was resurfaced, and the steel base of the bridge was restored to meet modern safety codes among. Today, Pigeon Key, at the end of this renovated stretch of Old Seven Mile Bridge, is home to a railroad museum that offers tours daily. The 2 mile stretch of bridge attracts over 250,000 visitors per year.

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Rehabilitation for the 1960 Henry E. Kinney Tunnel for structural, mechanical, electrical, architectural, and life safety began in 2021. Tunnel rehabilitation included replacing ventilation fans, stormwater pumps, and delaminated tiles, repairing ventilation buildings, upgrading electrical equipment and generators, fire lanes, draining grates, and emergency lighting, adding new LED tunnel lighting, exhaust sensors, CCTV, dynamic message signs, overheight vehicle sensors, warning gates, and resurfacing the pavement. The tunnel top was expanded to become the new Tunnel Top Plaza, a pedestrian plaza with shade trees, seating, fountains, lighting, landscaping, raised crosswalks, improved street and intersection lighting, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramps.

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The Jupiter Federal Bridge was originally constructed in 1958. While originally scheduled as a rehabilitation project in 2013, it was quickly discovered that the bridge would only last another 30 years and total bridge replacement was proposed, with construction starting in 2021. Careful consideration was given to potential adverse effects on local seagrass and manatee populations. The bridge is surrounded by a variety of existing cultural resources, including the US Navy Married Men's Housing Quarters (which houses the Jupiter Lighthouse Museum), Jupiter Bridge itself, and a pre-contact midden (or trash pile) on which the lighthouse was built in 1853. FDOT had to give special consideration to the effect that vibrations would play on the lighthouse and had to wrap the lighthouse lens during vibratory construction activities.

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In early 2023, the King Street Draining and Outfall project in downtown St. Augustine aimed to replace a large drainpipe under the King Street intersection all the way to the Bay Wall to help mitigate issues of standing and flood waters. Other aspects of this project will include a cement sea wall, a wooden pergola, sidewalk upgrades including curbs and guardrails, a bicycle path, improved lighting, and asphalt resurfacing.

During archaeological monitoring of heavy machinery use during pipe installation, consultants discovered a historic wooden shipwreck - right under the intersection!  Using artifacts that were discovered with the ship remains, archaeologists were able to date this ship to the 1800s. This wooden ship was preserved by the mud it was encapsulated in. Archaeologists had to use specialized methods to excavate the ship and then to preserve it once it was removed from its initial location.

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