Card Sound Road provides a second crossing between the Florida Keys and the Florida Mainland. Veering southeast from U.S. 1 at Florida City, Card Sound Road carries no designation through to the Monroe County line. Once in Monroe County, the highway becomes part of Monroe County 905A and spans the tolled Card Sound Bridge. At the junction with Monroe County 905, Monroe County 905A ends. Monroe County 905 carries Card Sound Road the remainder of the way back to U.S. 1 at Key Largo. Monroe County 905 also spurs northeast of Card Sound Road to the private Ocean Reef Club at the north end of Key Largo.
Monroe County 905 north
Leaving U.S. 1 and the built-up areas of Key Largo on Monroe County 905 (Card Sound Road). A small sign assembly lists the distance to the Ocean Reef Club, the Card Sound Bridge toll schedule, and a reassurance shield. Photo taken 05/07/06.
Card Sound Road features mileposts the same way that the Overseas Highway does. Mileposts feature the prefix of C for Card Sound Road. Pictured here is a random scene along Monroe County 905 northbound between U.S. 1 and junction Monroe County 905A. Rumor has it that there was a Nike missile site embedded within the woods adjacent to Monroe County 905. Photo taken 05/07/06.
Approaching the split with Card Sound Road along Monroe County 905 northbound. Monroe County 905A continues Card Sound Road northwest across the toll bridge to Florida City. Monroe County 905 continues north as an unnamed road to the Ocean Reef Club entrance. Photo taken 05/07/06.
Junction Monroe County 905A shield assembly posted ahead of the Card Sound Road northwesterly turn. Monroe County 905A does not turn into Miami-Dade County 905A once across the county line, rather Card Sound Road is an unnumbered road back to U.S. 1. Photo taken 05/07/06.
A flasher accompanies the three-way stop at the Monroe County 905 and 905A junction. To the east is an abandoned section of original Card Sound Road, a road that traveled a short distance to the original Florida 905. Photo taken 05/07/06.
Small guide signs and county markers direct traffic to Ocean Reef Club along Monroe County 905 north and Homestead, Miami, and Florida's Turnpike along Monroe County 905A (Card Sound Road) north. Photo taken 05/07/06.
Monroe County 905A continues 1.7 miles north from Card Sound Road to the private Ocean Reef Club. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Like the majority of Card Sound Road, Monroe County 905 north of Monroe County 905A features mangrove stands and other trees along an otherwise undeveloped frontage. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Monroe County 905 ends at the gate to the Ocean Reef Club. Posh residents continue further while a u-turn lane allows others to turn back southward toward Key Largo. A Monroe County 905 shield (not pictured) lies within the bushes just south of the gate for southbound. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Monroe County 905A north
The only Monroe County 905A shield posted along Card Sound Road lies at the northbound beginning of the road beyond its intersection with Monroe County 905A. Card Sound Road travels through the Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Photo taken 05/07/06.
The fixed high-level Card Sound Bridge spans the waters between Barnes and Card Sounds on the drive toward Florida City and Homestead. Photos taken 05/07/06.
Northbound at the Card Sound Road toll plaza. The canopy in place during March of 2006 was removed for one reason or another by May of 2006. Passenger vehicles are levied a $1.00 toll while each additional axle incurs 50 cents a piece. The toll bridge is not state-maintained. Photo taken 05/07/06.
A straight shot carries Card Sound Road northward from the Miami-Dade County line to Florida City. Low lying mangrove swamps compose the landscape on either side of the north-south highway. Photo taken 05/07/06.
Approaching the north end of Card Sound Road, a hurricane evacuation sign directs motorists northward to the U.S. 1 interchange with Florida's Turnpike. Since most of Monroe County lies in a flood plain, hurricane evacuation shelters exist in southern Miami-Dade County to accommodate the evacuees. Photo taken 05/07/06.
Monroe County 905A south
Card Sound Road leaves U.S. 1 at the south end of the Florida City commercial strip. The road provides an alternate route to Key Largo and the rest of the Keys in lieu of the U.S. 1 path across Jewfish Creek, Surprise Lake, and the rest of the wetlands to the west. The concession is that travelers using Card Sound Road must fork over $1.00 (per passenger vehicle) to cross the Card Sound Bridge. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Wetlands and canals lie along the Card Sound Road path between Florida City and the Card Sound Bridge. The highway becomes Monroe County 905A upon crossing the Miami-Dade County line. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Approaching the Card Sound Bridge toll plaza and associated fish camps along Barnes and Card Sounds. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Entering the Card Sound Bridge toll plaza on U.S. 1 south. The canopy above the toll plaza was removed between March and May of 2006. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Card Sound Road enters Monroe County ahead of the Card Sound Road Bridge. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Spanning the Card Sound Bridge along Monroe County 905A southbound. Little Card and Card Sounds lie to the east; Barnes Sound resides to the west. The fixed high-level bridge opened in 1968 to replace the original 1930s-span.1 Photos taken 03/25/06.
Monroe County 905A (Card Sound Road) enters Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge on the approach to junction Monroe County 905. The refuge was established in 1980 as a 6,600 acre facility to protect the last stands of high tropical hardwood hammock, Key Largo woodrat and cotton mouse, and Schaus' swallowtail butterfly. Photo taken 03/25/06.
A short concrete bridge spans Steamboat Creek along Monroe County 905A south. Locals use the bridge to fish the waters below. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Approaching the Card Sound Road merge with Monroe County 905. While Monroe County 905A ends, Monroe County 905 travels in a northeast-southwest fashion between the private Ocean Reef Club and the built-up areas of Key Largo. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Two small guide signs confirm the control points mentioned above. Ocean Reef Club lies 1.7 miles to the north; junction U.S. 1 is a nine-mile drive south. Photo taken 03/25/06.
A flasher joins the stop sign at the south end of Monroe County 905A at junction Monroe County 905. Card Sound Road follows Monroe County 905 south to U.S. 1, thus completing the alternate route to the Overseas Highway between Florida City and the Keys. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Old concrete remains in place east of the Card Sound Road turn onto Monroe County 905 south. The original Card Sound Road continued east less than a mile to the original State Road 905. Both roads east of the present intersection are abandoned and lie within the Crocodile National Wildlife Refuge now. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Monroe County 905 south
An older style guide sign remains in use along Monroe County 905 southbound on the approach to Card Sound Road (Monroe County 905A). Monroe County 905 travels 1.7 miles south from the gate to Ocean Reef Club to Monroe county 905A. Photo taken 03/25/06.
A lone Monroe County 905 marker directs motorists south through the intersection with Card Sound Road. Monroe County 905 ends at junction U.S. 1 in north Key Largo. Monroe County 905 however has other segments of roadway further south in the Keys. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Junction Monroe County 905A (Card Sound Road north) from Monroe County 905 (Card Sound Road south). Monroe County 905A travels Card Sound Road north to the Card Sound Road toll bridge and the Miami-Dade County line. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Monroe County 905 and U.S. 1 shields posted after the merge with Card Sound Road southbound. U.S. 1 lies nine miles ahead. Photo taken 03/25/06.
End Monroe County 905 shield assembly posted ahead of the Card Sound Road intersection with U.S. 1 (Overseas Highway). U.S. 1 heads south into the business district of Key Largo on the 100-mile drive to Key West. Photo taken 03/25/06.
A stop sign lies at the end of Card Sound Road in lieu of a traffic light with U.S. 1. U.S. 1 north leaves Key Largo for the Surprise Lake causeway along "The Stretch", the 18-mile drive between Key Largo and Florida City/Homestead. Photo taken 03/25/06.
Old Overseas Highway - Plantation Key
A very short section of original Overseas Highway near the north end of Plantation Key remains signed as Florida C-905. The parallel alignment of U.S. 1 travels closely alongside the northbound lanes near the Bessie Road intersection at north Islamorada.
Monroe County 905, signed as Florida C-905 on Plantation Key, parallels U.S. 1 closely along the northbound side. Here is a side by side perspective of both highways. Photo taken 05/07/06.
A lone Florida C905 shield remains in use at the northbound approach to Bessie Road on the north end of Plantation Key. Photo taken 05/07/06.
Travelers bound for U.S. 1 (Overseas Highway) south must use the signalized intersection with Bessie Road. Otherwise motorists default onto U.S. 1 northbound ahead of Tavernier Creek. Photo taken 05/07/06.
Drivers joining U.S. 1 northbound merge onto the highway ahead of Tavernier and Key Largo. Monroe County 905 otherwise peters out next to the Tavernier Creek bridge approach. Photo taken 05/07/06.
One southbound Florida C905 shield resides along the old Overseas Highway between Bessie Road and Fontaine Drive. Photo taken 05/07/06.
Old Overseas Highway - Windley Key
A very short segment of the original Overseas Highway remains signed as "CR 905" on green signs at Windley Key. This section of old U.S. 1 parallels the northbound side of the Overseas Highway for 1.2 miles.
There is not much to the CR-905 segment of original Overseas Highway on Windley Key. The two-lane roadway acts as a frontage road to the parallel U.S. 1, then loops east of the Theater of the Sea, before returning and ending near the Snake Creek draw bridge of U.S. 1. Photo taken 05/07/06.
