Alva Bridge, Bascule bridge in Alva, Florida, United States

Alva Bridge is a two-lane bascule drawbridge carrying Broadway over the Caloosahatchee River in Alva, Florida. It stands 21 feet tall and is one of four vehicle drawbridges in Lee County. Its bascule span lifts to let boats pass; the current structure opened in 1969.

A swing bridge built in 1903 was the closest crossing to Fort Myers until 1924; it was replaced in 1925 and moved to Matlacha, where it served as the Matlacha Pass Bridge for a year before a hurricane destroyed it. Its successor, also a swing bridge, was wrecked in 1966 when a barge hauling rocket parts to the Kennedy Space Center struck it. The present bascule bridge opened in 1969 after three years of construction.

Locals call it the Alva Bridge although the name is unofficial, and it carries Broadway across the Caloosahatchee. It is one of four vehicle drawbridges in Lee County, and watching the span lift for boat traffic is a familiar sight for residents of this small riverside town.

Under normal conditions the bridge is open to traffic and drivers can cross the river on the roadway. When a boat needs to pass, the bridge lifts and traffic stops temporarily until the vessel clears the span.

The bridge incorporates metal variable depth deck girders and fixed trunnion mechanisms, combined with pre-stressed concrete stringers in its approach spans.