<P> Construction on the original Overseas Highway , designated State Road 4A ( an extension of a route running from Miami to Homestead ) , lasted through most of the mid 1920s . Officially opening for traffic on January 25 , 1928 , the original highway existed in two segments at its greatest extent . One segment ran from the mainland via Card Sound Road to Key Largo and extended as far as Lower Matecumbe Key , while a segment in the lower keys existed from No Name Key to Key West . An automobile ferry service connected the 41 mile gap between Lower Matecumbe and No Name Keys . State Road 4A mostly ran alongside of the Overseas Railroad in the upper keys but in the lower keys , it followed a much different path than the railroad and current highway . The ferry landing on No Name Key was located at the end of what is now Watson Boulevard , which carried State Road 4A across No Name Key and Big Pine Key before it crossed to Little Torch Key . On Little Torch Key , it turned south and rejoined the railroad . It would continue along the north side of the railroad to Upper Sugarloaf Key , where it turned south and ran along the current route of County Roads 939 and 939A over Lower Sugarloaf Key and the Saddlebunch Keys . From the Saddlebunch Keys , State Road 4A crossed onto Geiger Key , continuing along what is now Geiger Road and Boca Chica Road . On Boca Chica Key , it followed the shoreline south of Naval Air Station Key West 's airstrip to Boca Chica Beach before crossing to Stock Island . On Stock Island , it followed Maloney Avenue and MacDonald Avenue where it rejoined the Overseas Railroad heading into Key West . Most of the State Road 4A bridges in the Lower Keys were of wooden construction and had been in use by the early 1920s . </P>
<P> Construction on the original Overseas Highway , designated State Road 4A ( an extension of a route running from Miami to Homestead ) , lasted through most of the mid 1920s . Officially opening for traffic on January 25 , 1928 , the original highway existed in two segments at its greatest extent . One segment ran from the mainland via Card Sound Road to Key Largo and extended as far as Lower Matecumbe Key , while a segment in the lower keys existed from No Name Key to Key West . An automobile ferry service connected the 41 mile gap between Lower Matecumbe and No Name Keys . State Road 4A mostly ran alongside of the Overseas Railroad in the upper keys but in the lower keys , it followed a much different path than the railroad and current highway . The ferry landing on No Name Key was located at the end of what is now Watson Boulevard , which carried State Road 4A across No Name Key and Big Pine Key before it crossed to Little Torch Key . On Little Torch Key , it turned south and rejoined the railroad . It would continue along the north side of the railroad to Upper Sugarloaf Key , where it turned south and ran along the current route of County Roads 939 and 939A over Lower Sugarloaf Key and the Saddlebunch Keys . From the Saddlebunch Keys , State Road 4A crossed onto Geiger Key , continuing along what is now Geiger Road and Boca Chica Road . On Boca Chica Key , it followed the shoreline south of Naval Air Station Key West 's airstrip to Boca Chica Beach before crossing to Stock Island . On Stock Island , it followed Maloney Avenue and MacDonald Avenue where it rejoined the Overseas Railroad heading into Key West . Most of the State Road 4A bridges in the Lower Keys were of wooden construction and had been in use by the early 1920s . </P>
when was the first road to key west built
when was the first road to key west built
mid 1920s
mid 1920s