Salt Run Bridge

There is a canal that runs through Key West and it enters or exits the island here:

The Salt Run Bridge separates North Roosevelt Boulevard into two pieces at the Overseas Market Plaza, pictured below where TGIF restaurant holds court:

The bridge marks the transition from the 30mph zone closer to downtown from the wild west 35mph nose-bleed zone of the outer reaches of North Roosevelt. The channel itself, as close as you could come to a river in Key West flows south, covered by mangroves, towards the airport and flows under Flagler Avenue near 10th street before turning east and becoming Riviera Canal and debouching into Cow Key Channel under the Riviera Canal Bridge, similar in all respects to this one:

The Riviera Canal essay is here: http://conchscooter.blogspot.com/2008/08/riviera-drive.html The Salt Run Bridge is a convenient access point for shopping, weirdly enough, for people who live at anchor in the waters north of Key West and it isn't uncommon at all to find boats, like this inflatable pulled up in the mangroves. It's almost axiomatic in Key West, if there is a mangrove bush there may be someone living in it, or under it or simply using it as a trash can:Despite the abundance of public trash cans in Key West these days, people still somehow manage to dump their trash where it is most unsightly. I remember these unsightly garbage heaps even when I lived aboard in these areas nearly twenty years ago. I used to land my dinghy in the bushes across the street from Burger King just down the road from here and I was always struck by the heaps of trash. My buddy Curt shrugged and put it down to Key West being a transient town. I figured it was the shortage of public trash disposal facilities back then. Yet today it is still an issue, intractable as ever.

One shouldn't be surprised, this is a major bicycle and foot thoroughfare and people, even of good will, spill stuff all the time I suppose, though I didn't see anyone doing that.This is a far cry from the narrow streets of Old Town, Home depot is off to the left, and Overseas Market and Key Plaza are to the right:
This looks like anywhere suburban South Florida, but it's actually North Roosevelt inbound toward everyone's favorite vacation town:

Key West efficiency:

That this isn't suburban mainland Florida is given away by the abundance of scooters:

In winter this is the only easy way to cross North Roosevelt though one can see pedestrians running the gauntlet almost anywhere day and night. Accidents aren't frequent but they do happen and people do get hurt.

Call me cowardly but I like to choose my battles more carefully. This lot is in a hurry:
Why some people insist on riding their bikes on the Boulevard (as North Roosevelt is known) I couldn't say when there is an ample bike path on the seaward side of the street:
Besides from the bike path you get to see all manner of interesting things, like the mains pipe that brings water to Key West from the South Florida Aquifer about 140 miles away:This is the view looking north up Salt Run creek past Parrot Bay Resort towards the anchorage:
And this is looking south at the lagoon that sits behind TGIF and Ross and Pier One department stores in the Overseas Market:

And this is the No Trespassing sign next to the well worn trail that leads mysteriously off into the mangroves.

Like I said, show me a mangrove bush and I'll show you someone making use of it in Key West.