| Bridge Name: | Veterans Memorial Bridge |
| Official Name: | Tom Staed Veterans Memorial Bridge [1] |
| Carries: | CR 4050 Orange Avenue Silver Beach Avenue |
| Crosses: | Halifax River Intracoastal Waterway |
| Locale: | Daytona Beach, Florida |
| Maint: | Florida Department of Transportation |
| Complete: | 2020 |
| Toll: | Free |
| Coordinates: | 29.2111°N -81.0108°W |
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.
The first bridge at this location was built in 1899, connecting the then separate towns of Daytona and Daytona Beach.
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] .
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 | 1775–1883 | ||
| 2nd | 1785–1793 | ||
| 1778–1800 | |||
| 1801–1805 | |||
| 3rd | 1812–1815 | ||
| 4th | 1811 | ||
| 1813–1814 | |||
| 1815 | |||
| 5th | 1817–1898 | ||
| 6th | 1846–1848 | ||
| 7th | 1856–1860 | ||
| 1857–1858 | |||
| 1859–1861 | |||
| 8th | 1861–1865 | ||
| 9th | 1893 | ||
| 1898–1899 | |||
| 10th | 1898–1902 | ||
| 11th | 1899–1902 | ||
| 1899–1901 | |||
| 1910–1919 | |||
| 12th | 1917–1918 | ||
| 13th | 1941–1946 | ||
| 14th | World War II— European Theater | ||
| 15th | |||
| 16th | World War II— Pacific Theater | ||
| 17th | 1950–1953 | ||
| 18th | 1964–1975 | ||
| 19th | 1975 | ||
| 1980 | |||
| 1981 | |||
| 20th | 1983 | ||
| 1983 | |||
| 1986 | |||
| 21st | 1990–1993 | ||
| 22nd | 1989 | ||
| 1992–1993 | |||
| 1993 | |||
| 23rd | 1993–1995 | ||
| 1994–1995 | |||
| 1998–1999 | |||
| 24th | 2001–2014 | ||
| 25th | 2003–2010 | ||
| 26th | Plaque describing the Veterans Memorial Park (below the bridge) | ||
| 27th | 2010–Present | ||
| 28th | 2011 | ||
| 29th | [blank] |