A Guide to Jacksonville's Bridges

1. Dames Point Bridge

Officially it's the Napolean Bonaparte Broward (1857-1910) Bridge, named after the local river pilot who went on to become Governor of Florida. Broward was known for his project to expand agriculture and drain the Everglades. It is one of the largest cable-stayed bridges built in the U.S. having 21 miles of cable. The bridge is just over 2 miles long.

3. Hart Bridge

Our green bridge was opened in 1967 and is named after the city founder, Isaiah Hart. When Isaiah Hart came to the area, he traded $72 worth of cattle for 18 acres of land. He laid out the streets in a grid format and called his new city Jacksonville. His house was on the SW corner of Market and Bay Streets. The annual Gate River Run, the largest 15K race in the county, concludes as runners cross the Hart Bridge - or the Green Monster, in this case - to enter the stadium area.

4. Main Street Bridge

Arguably Jacksonville's most recognizable bridge, the official name is the John T. Alsop Jr. Bridge, however, everyone calls it by street name or just simply the “blue bridge”. Alsop was a mayor of Jacksonville for eighteen years, the longest duration in the city’s history. Opened in 1941, the bridge is a popular Downtown landmark appearing in many skyline photos. It is the only “lift bridge” or movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck on our list.

5. St. Elmo W. Acosta Bridge

More simply called the Acosta Bridge named after the City Councilman instrumental in funding the original span known as the St. Johns River Bridge (1921). After Acosta died, the St. Johns River Bridge was renamed in his honor. Eventually, the new Acosta Bridge opened in 1994 replacing the older one. Today the Acosta Bridge has 6 lanes for cars, 2 pedestrian walkways, and 2-tracks in the median for the Skyway train. This is my favorite bridge on driving tours because of the magnificent view of Downtown from the crest.

7. Fuller Warren Bridge

This span carries 8 lanes of I95 traffic and was fully opened in 2002. A former Florida governor, Fuller Warren, is the bridge’s namesake. This bridge provides the shade every Saturday for the Riverside Arts Market (RAM). A local driving tidbit: when the Downtown exit (Main Street Bridge and Acosta Bridge) is backed up and you are going to the Northbank, take the Fuller Warren Bridge to the Park Street exit and do the short drive to Downtown.

8. Ortega River Bridge

This is the only bridge on our list that spans over a different river than the St. Johns River. The Ortega River is a tributary of the St. Johns. The bridge was built in 1927 and is also a drawbridge giving right of way to the local marinas and the yacht clubs. The bridge adds to the ambiance of the Ortega neighborhood area which is one of the more affluent areas of Jacksonville with many historic homes and buildings. This is the shortest bridge on our list at 1,143 feet.

9. The Buckman Bridge

The bridge is named after Henry Holland Buckman (1858-1914) who was influential in establishing a state road system in Florida. The bridge was opened in 1970 and is the longest on our list at a length of just over 3 miles. You can barely see the bridge in the distance past the Naval Air Station from the Bank of America tower room. Consider this a partial list in our “City of Bridges”. Some cities may have more bridges than Jacksonville, however, our bridges define our River City culture.

Which bridges are pedestrian-friendly?

Jacksonville's many bridges offer picturesque views of the city. For the thrill-seekers, there are some bridges that allow pedestrians to make a safe journey across:

• Main Street Bridge
• St. Elmo W. Acosta Bridge
• Fuller Warren Bridge (Pending Construction Completion)
• Ortega River Bridge