Will US Highway 1 from Miami to Key West (also known as the Overseas Highway) survive intact? If a storm surge takes out one or more of the bridges, it may take weeks or months before the highway is open to traffic. They’d rig up a temporary ferry of some kind, I’m sure, but that couldn’t be done overnight. The economic impact on the Keys west of any break would be immense.
The Overseas Highway was built on the railway right of way and bridge abutments used by the Florida East Coast Railway before it was wiped out by the 1935 hurricane. Will history repeat itself?
I am guessing the bridge going out and down for a month or two wouldn’t be as bad as you might think. If Irma plays out like they say, won’t be much to return to for quite a while.