The Seven Mile Bridge and Overseas Highway
Long bridges over impossibly blue water are the signature image of the Leonida Keys. The real ones have a story involving a millionaire's railroad, a catastrophic hurricane and a road that replaced them both.
Updated September 28, 2026
A railroad to the sea
For most of history the Florida Keys were reachable only by boat. That changed when oil and railroad tycoon Henry Flagler extended his Florida East Coast Railway across the islands. The Overseas Railroad, mocked at the time as "Flagler's Folly", reached Key West in 1912 after years of dangerous construction.
The original Seven Mile Bridge was part of that railroad, a long run of concrete arches carrying trains over open water between the middle Keys.
The 1935 hurricane
On Labor Day 1935, one of the most intense hurricanes ever to hit the United States struck the upper Keys. It killed hundreds of people, including many First World War veterans working in government camps, and destroyed large sections of the railroad.
The railroad was never rebuilt. Instead, the state bought the route and converted the bridges for cars. The Overseas Highway opened in 1938, with roadway laid on top of the old railroad bridges.
The bridge you drive today
The current Seven Mile Bridge opened in 1982, running parallel to the old one between Marathon and Little Duck Key. At just under seven miles, it is by far the longest bridge on the Overseas Highway, and the stretch of the drive where land almost disappears from view.
The old bridge still stands alongside it. A section running out to tiny Pigeon Key, once a camp for railroad workers, was restored and reopened to walkers and cyclists in 2022.
Why it matters for GTA 6
Rockstar's footage of the Leonida Keys shows long bridges linking small islands over shallow, bright water. Rockstar hasn't named any of them, but a big set-piece bridge drive modeled on the Seven Mile Bridge would be a natural fit, and it is the kind of place GTA players have always used for chases, stunts and sunset drives.
Real vs game
| In GTA 6 | In real life | |
|---|---|---|
| The road | Bridges linking the islands | US 1, the Overseas Highway |
| Length | Compressed for the game | About 113 miles from the mainland to Key West |
| Signature bridge | Not yet named | The Seven Mile Bridge |
| Old bridges | Unknown | Railroad-era bridges standing beside the new road |
Driving it for real
The Seven Mile Bridge sits around mile markers 40 to 47, in the middle Keys near Marathon. Pull-offs are limited on the bridge itself, so the best views come from the old bridge walk to Pigeon Key or from the beaches of Bahia Honda State Park a few miles further south.
Rockstar hasn't released an official map of Leonida. A map image from an older development build leaked in August 2026; we don't use it here. Everything on this page comes from Rockstar's own trailers, screenshots and region descriptions, and it will be updated after launch on November 19.
Questions
How long is the Seven Mile Bridge?
The current bridge is just under seven miles long. It opened in 1982 alongside the original railroad-era bridge.
Is the Seven Mile Bridge in GTA 6?
Rockstar hasn't named any bridges in the Leonida Keys, but its footage shows long island bridges very much like it.
Can you walk on the old Seven Mile Bridge?
Yes. A restored section of the old bridge out to Pigeon Key reopened to pedestrians and cyclists in 2022.