Which causeway is best from Miami to Miami Beach? What to know about crossing the bay
Why did the car cross the bay? To get to the other side, of course.
And that’s the case with thousands of cars each day, going from Miami to Miami Beach and vice-versa.
Tourists. Workers. Residents. They all zip across four causeways spanning Biscayne Bay and linking the island with the mainland.
Besides their varying routes, each causeway is different in character.
The MacArthur soars over the water, offers spectacular views, connects to PortMiami via tunnel and drops travelers into the heart of South Beach.
The Venetian oozes history, with its decorative railing and retro bridge tender quarters.
The Tuttle feels like a superhighway carved from the bay.
And the 79th Street Causeway feels more like a route through a small town.
Here is a guide to each of the causeways to help you plan your trip:
MacArthur Causeway
Toll: None
Built: 1920, rebuilt in 1959-61, drawbridge replaced as a fixed span in 1993-96.
Route: From 836 in Miami to Fifth Street in Miami Beach
Alternate name: I-395
History: Named for World War II Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Previous drawbridge was a low-level span opened in 1961 with two lanes in each direction. Due to its low height, the bridge had to be raised and lowered frequently. The two fixed spans built in the 1990s are 72 feet high from peak to bay and leave space to accommodate a possible mass transit line.
Venetian Causeway
Toll: $2.25 SunPass, $3 toll by plate
Built: 1926, restored in 1995-99 and 2016, with repairs through the years
Route: 15th Street in Miami to 17th Street/Dade Boulevard in Miami Beach
History: Miami-Dade bought it in 1950 for $3.8 million. The reconstruction cost is an estimated $33.7 million. It cost about $2 million to build the Venetian in 1925. In the early 1960s, the first high-rises were built on the Venetian Isles, first on the south side of Belle Island. Over time, the number of apartment buildings increased on Belle and Biscayne islands.
Julia Tuttle Causeway
Toll: None
Built: Opened in 1959.
Route: Six-lane highway with no drawbridges to slow traffic. Runs from the southern terminus of the Airport Expressway and empties onto 41st Street in Miami Beach, and connects with Alton Road.
Alternative name: Interstate I-195
History: Namesake Julia Tuttle earned her place in Florida history by giving railroad magnate Henry S. Flagler 100 acres of land in exchange for Flagler extending his railroad line from Palm Beach to Miami.
79th Street Causeway
Toll: None, unless you are tempted to stop at one of the restaurants along the stretch and spend some money.
Built: Opened in 1928 and rebuilt in 1948. The bridge was widened and bolstered in the late 1960s and early 1970s but since then has needed only minor repairs.
Route: Northeast 79th Street in Miami through North Bay Village to 71st Street in Miami Beach.
Alternative name: John F. Kennedy Causeway
History: Best known for its raucous reputation in the 1960s as a late-night hangout for entertainers and mobsters. Restaurants and watering holes of the past along the stretch included the Place for Steak, the Bonfire and Happy’s Stork Lounge. There was even a 24-hour beauty salon called the Head Hunter. Today, the causeway runs through more of a family-oriented town whose best known restaurant is Shuckers.
This story was originally published November 12, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
