Torry Island Swing Bridge
Torry Island Swing Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 26°42′20″N 80°42′47″W / 26.70549705°N 80.7129884°W |
| Crosses | Lake Okeechobee Rim Canal |
| Locale | Belle Glade, Florida |
| Owner | Palm Beach County |
| Maintained by | Palm Beach County |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Swing bridge |
| Material | Steel |
| Trough construction | Steel |
| Pier construction | Concrete |
| No. of lanes | 1 |
| History | |
| Opened | 1935 |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | None |
| Location | |
The Torry Island Swing Bridge (also known as the Point Chosen Swing Bridge) is a historic swing bridge located just west of Belle Glade, Florida. The bridge was built in 1935, making it the oldest swing drawbridge in Florida and the only one in the state that is still operated manually via a crank. The bridge connects County Road 717 (West Canal Street) on the east side of Lake Okeechobee to Torry Island, a historic site and the lake's only inhabited island.
The Torry Island Swing Bridge crosses Lake Okeechobee's rim canal and is only one lane wide with traffic lights on both sides of the bridge controlling the direction of travel on the single lane (as well as stopping traffic when the swing span is open). The Torry Island Swing Bridge notably provides access to the Torry Island Campground and is opened for vessel traffic on demand by operations at Slims Fish Camp.