Construction crew digs up a mortar shell. Key West street reopened after closure
A construction crew in Key West dug up an old mortar shell Wednesday afternoon, prompting authorities to evacuate the immediate area and close a street for nearly four hours, police said.
Crews unearthed the shell on the property of the Thai Island Restaurant off the Palm Avenue Causeway around 1 p.m., Key West police said. The restaurant was closed when the shell was found, police spokeswoman Alyson Crean added.
Police closed Palm Avenue in both directions between Eisenhower Drive and North Roosevelt Boulevard, reopening it shortly before 5 p.m.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office’s bomb squad secured the shell, which was handed over to a U.S. military Explosives Ordnance Disposal team, said sheriff’s office spokesman Adam Linhardt.
Authorities are not sure how the shell became buried in that spot, Linhardt said.
Given Key West’s long history with the U.S. military -- dating back to when the Navy built a base in what’s now Mallory Square in 1823 for anti-piracy operations -- it’s not entirely surprising ordnance would be left behind at times during the nation’s many conflicts.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was originally published October 29, 2025 at 1:49 PM.
