The 1990 end of US 1 in Key West, at a colored shield, courtesy J.P. Nasiatka. Colored shields were FDOT's way of saying FU to the FHWA. At some point, Florida got tired of paying for its own nonstandard signage (since the FHWA would otherwise fund 50% of it), and gave up.


Just two years prior, this 1988 photo courtesy Averill Hecht shows the 0 milemarker on the post.


Haven't I seen you before? This one was taken in 1978 by Michael Summa, and you can tell it's not the same shield because the END is not in a red border.


No longer as interesting, here are my own photos of the beginning of the southernmost U.S. Highway.


Just past the Begin shield is a kapok tree. Maybe I like it because I read (well, was read) The Great Kapok Tree in grade school.


The Cornish Memorial Ame Zion Church, as original as its name is long. There are plenty more Key West scenery photos to come on their own page.


Very old overhead - black on white would likely date it to the 1960's.


US 1 NB at the other route in Key West, taken in 1982 by Michael Summa before the sign was swapped out for a legitimate FL 5A shield. State secondary routes mostly were sent down to the counties when the concept was killed, but a few like this one survived. Incidentally, FL 5A and US 1 share the title of southernmost route in Florida; despite the Key West street grid being angled from north-south, their ends are virtually at the same line of latitude.


FL 5A is so numbered because US 1 is secret FL 5 at the same time (it had been 4A once upon a time). Well, the secret is out at one intersection. And by incredible coincidence, it's the same one where FL 5A begins.


SB and NB at the southernmost junction of US 1 with original FL 1. This route has a long way to go to the next section of A1A and does not officially multiplex with US 1, so it may as well have been a different number altogether (5B?). The US 1 shield in the first photo is patched over some earlier variant, perhaps a black background shield (they seem to be more common on older signs).


Courtesy J.P. Nasiatka in 1990, this photo is special because shields on green signs were normally black on white regardless of the assigned color.


In the lower Keys I ran into a line of storm clouds dumping water intermittently on US 1. But as these views show you, the clouds are only directly over the keys. Sunny skies bathe the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, so clearly this is an effect of the intermittent landmass.


NB across one of several Saddle Bunches, which happens to have an old bridge to the east (and it's open from end to end as a bike trail). If you think Saddle Bunch is an odd name for a water crossing, well, the Saddlebunch Keys are located in Similar Sound.


Another inlet, another old FDOT bridge. (I saw so many, I stopped caring or counting.) This one connects Park Key to Sugarloaf Key.


One of two crossings that gets a lot of coverage on this page, Bow Channel from Sugarloaf Key NB to Cudjoe Key.


One of the reasons it gets so much coverage is that I got out of the car to spend some time at the southern end. 1943 is years after the Florida East Coast Railway was destroyed by a hurricane, so there must have been a railroad truss pressed into temporary service at this crossing. The bridge was used until the 1980's, which is why there are still remnants of the original center striping. You don't get to pass on narrow bridges anymore.


Looking west at the Gulf of Mexico with modern US 1 in the foreground, then turning back to the car.


NB on Cudjoe Key at Kemp's Channel (toward Summerland Key). Here the new bridge was built over the SB lanes of the old bridge, so only the abutment is left.


NB across Nile's Channel from Summerland Key (visible in the 4th photo) to Ramrod Key, with an old bridge to the east.


SB view of the same bridge. You can see how US 1 was realigned from heading straight onto the old bridge to curving onto the new bridge.


Pine Channel, crossing NB from Little Torch Key to Big Pine Key.

North to the Spanish Channel and Bahia Honda Bridges
US 1 in the Keys main page
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