Veterans Memorial Bridge (Daytona Beach)

The Veterans Memorial Bridge, commonly called the Orange Avenue Bridge, spans the Halifax River and Intracoastal Waterway in Daytona Beach, Florida, Volusia County, Florida. The bridge carries vehicles across two lanes of CR 4050 from Orange Avenue and Silver Beach Avenue.

Veterans Memorial Bridge
The second bridge
Coordinates29°12′40″N 81°00′39″W / 29.21111°N 81.01083°W / 29.21111; -81.01083
Carries CR 4050
Orange Avenue
Silver Beach Avenue
CrossesHalifax River
Intracoastal Waterway
LocaleDaytona Beach, Florida
Official nameTom Staed Veterans Memorial Bridge [1]
Maintained byFlorida Department of Transportation
History
Construction end2020
Statistics
TollFree
Location
Map

History

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First bridge

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The first bridge at this location was built in 1899, connecting the then separate towns of Daytona and Daytona Beach.

Second bridge

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In 2016, a project aimed at replacing the old Orange Avenue Bridge commenced. The project lasted for 32 months and the new, high rise, concrete arch bridge came into existence[2].

Memorial plaques

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The bridge has 28 scenic overlooks, each with plaques commemorating conflicts in the military history of the United States. Each plaque includes a description of conflicts and their outcomes; the number of military personnel killed, wounded, or missing in action; a QR code linked to additional data; and a Braille plate with information.

Plaque sequence Event memorialized Years
1st American Revolutionary War 1775–1883
2nd Northwest Indian War 1785–1793
Quasi-War 1778–1800
First Barbary War 1801–1805
3rd The War of 1812 1812–1815
4th Tecumseh's War 1811
Creek War 1813–1814
Second Barbary War 1815
5th American Indian Wars 1817–1898
6th Mexican–American War 1846–1848
7th Second Opium War 1856–1860
Utah War 1857–1858
First & Second Cortina Wars 1859–1861
8th Civil War 1861–1865
9th Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii 1893
Second Samoan Civil War 1898–1899
10th Spanish–American War 1898–1902
11th Philippine–American War 1899–1902
Boxer Rebellion 1899–1901
Border War 1910–1919
12th World War I 1917–1918
13th World War II 1941–1946
14th World War II— European Theater
15th
16th World War II— Pacific Theater
17th Korean War 1950–1953
18th Vietnam War 1964–1975
19th Mayaguez Incident 1975
Operation Eagle Claw 1980
Gulf of Sidra 1981
20th Operation Urgent Fury 1983
Beirut Barracks Bombing 1983
Operation El Dorado Canyon 1986
21st Operations Desert Shield & Desert Storm 1990–1993
22nd Operation Just Cause 1989
Operation Restore Hope 1992–1993
Operation Gothic Serpent 1993
23rd Bosnian War 1993–1995
Operation Uphold Democracy 1994–1995
Kosovo War 1998–1999
24th Operation Enduring Freedom 2001–2014
25th Operation Iraqi Freedom 2003–2010
26th Plaque describing the Veterans Memorial Park
(below the bridge)
27th Operation New Dawn 2010–Present
28th Military Intervention in Libya 2011
29th [blank]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Metz, Claire (6 August 2020). "Veterans Memorial Bridge opens, connecting Daytona Beach's downtown to beachside". WESH. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  2. ^ Florida, Volusia County (May 15, 2021). "Tom Staed Veterans Memorial Bridge". volusia.org. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
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