For several Keys residents and officials, one image stood out in the TV coverage. That was the severely damaged bridge and causeway that linked the mainland to Sanibel Island.

The Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys was considered an engineering marvel when it opened in 1982.

Since then, the most celebrated section of the highway that connects the Keys to the mainland is the Seven Mile Bridge (though it actually only measures 6.7 miles).

Vaclav “Vance” Bursa, 15, of Big Pine Key, Florida, finished first overall in the annual 7 Mile Bridge Run, posting a time of 41 minutes, 1 second and also claiming the top spot in the men’s ...

Florida has plans to replace the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys. If the state follows through, the construction of a new span would be the third Seven Mile Bridge.

The Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys was considered an engineering marvel when it opened in 1982. For 40 years, the span along the Overseas Highway has offered breathtaking views for people dr… ...

In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, the sun rises above the Atlantic Ocean in the Florida Keys as a field of 1,500 competitors traverses the Seven Mile Bridge from Little Duck ...

The Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys was considered an engineering marvel when it opened in 1982.

In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, the sun rises above the Atlantic Ocean in the Florida Keys as a field of 1,500 competitors traverses the Seven Mile Bridge from Little Duck ...

In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, the sun rises above the Atlantic Ocean in the Florida Keys as a field of 1,500 competitors traverses the Seven Mile Bridge from Little Duck ...