Royal Park Bridge is a bascule bridge over the intracoastal in West Palm Beach. Once you cross the bridge into Palm Beach you can visit the Society of the Four Arts and the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum.
The original Royal Park Bridge was a wooden bridge built in 1911 by Elisha Newton "Cap" Dimick. Dimick was a former state senator and the first mayor of Palm Beach. There is a statue of him on the Palm Beach side as soon as you cross the bridge. The bridge was named after a housing project he was developing in Palm Beach called the Royal Park Addition. In 1919, Palm Beach County purchased the bridge for $40,000 with the intention to replace it with a concrete span. Before they could do so, the bridge collapsed. A two-lane concrete replacement bridge opened on August 11, 1924 but it was damaged by the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. It was repaired less than two weeks after the storm. The bridge was replaced in 1959. Two lanes along the south side of the bridge were added along with two drawbridges. In 1998 the bridge was condemned because of damage caused by marine borers and it was replaced with a temporary bridge.
The bascule bridge that is here now opened in 2005. It is the second of three bridges connecting West Palm Beach to Palm Beach. Sometimes it is referred to as Middle Bridge. As I walked over the top of Royal Park Bridge I enjoyed the stunning view of the boats, Lake Trail, and the Flagler Museum. Underneath the bridge is a walking and bike trail where I discovered two beautiful murals, Kukui and Heau by artist Sean Yoro also known as HULA. People enjoying fishing here and along the top of the bridge.
Unfortunately the bridge was touched by tragedy on February 6, 2022, when 79 year old Carol Esterling Wright was killed while crossing the bridge with her bike when its spans suddenly started rising causing her to fall 50 feet to the concrete ground. The bridge tender was charged with manslaughter. I can't help but think of Carol as I saw the bridge spans go up. Beauty but on an otherwise ordinary February day, danger too. read more