Florida Friday; Bridges in Jacksonville

Back in 2013 I was working out of Jacksonville on occasion. That being the case I was able to checkout much of the bridge network crossing the St. Johns River.

The Mathews Bridge is a cantilever bridge carrying Florida State Road 115 over the St. Johns River from downtown Jacksonville. The Mathews Bridge opened in 1953 and is approximately 7,736 feet in length. Despite the maximum 152 foot clearance down to the St. Johns River the structure was struck by a military ship in 2013 which led to a one month closure.

South of the Mathews Bridge is the Hart Bridge. The Hart Bridge is a truss bridge carrying FL 228 and US 1A from downtown Jacksonville over the St. Johns River. The Hart Bridge opened in 1967 and is approximately 3,844 feet in length. The maximum clearance for the Hart Bridge above the St. Johns River is 141 feet.

Northeast of the Hart and Mathews Bridges is the Dames Point Bridge carrying I-295 traffic over the St. Johns River. The Dames Point Bridge is a cable stayed structure which was completed in 1989. The Dames Point Bridge is approximately 10,646 feet in length and has a maximum clearance of 175 feet.

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