The Hernando DeSoto Bridge is a bridge on US 41 that goes over the Manatee River between Palmetto and Bradenton, Florida. As you go over the bridge, you get a beautiful view of the Manatee River. The Desoto Bridge is 40 feet (12 m) tall and carries four lanes. It is one of two bridges connecting Bradenton and Palmetto. The DeSoto Bridge opened in 1957It has a length of 2,334.4 ft and a width of 62 ft. with 33 spans The bridge crosses the Manatee River at a 40 mile stretch. The river is a 36-mile-long river and runs through Manatee County, Florida. There are alligators in the Manatee River (which surprised me for some reason). Wildlife in and around the river includes alligators, herons, manatees, dolphins, and fish such as bass, bluegill, catfish, and gar. Bull sharks are even found occasionally in the brackish water near its low-lying outlet! The river starts in the northeastern corner of Manatee County and flows into the Gulf of Mexico at the southern edge of Tampa Bay. The DeSoto Bridge gets highly congested at rush hour. The county has looked at a new bridge with elevated lanes but it would be 10+ years in the future and there is opposition from people nearby. They will have to fix the problem somehow. Widening the current bridge would be great but difficult because a temporary replacement would have to be readied before work on the original bridge could begin. The Hernando DeSoto Bridge is an essential river crossing from Palmetto and the north to Bradenton but also an important landmark here in Manatee County. read more

Hernando Desoto Bridge - Beautiful views of the Manatee River from the Hernando DeSoto Bridge. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chassell, Michigan