Fuller Warren Bridge (new)
Coordinates30°18′54″N 81°40′18″W / 30.315°N 81.67166667°W / 30.315; -81.67166667
CarriesEight lanes of I-95
CrossesSt. Johns River
LocaleJacksonville, Florida
Official nameFuller Warren Bridge
Maintained byFlorida Department of Transportation
ID number720156
Characteristics
DesignPrestressed concrete girder bridge
Total length7,500 feet (2,286.0 m)
WidthEight general purpose lanes
Three auxiliary lanes
Shared-use path
Longest span250 feet (76.2 m)
Clearance aboveUnlimited
Clearance below75 feet (22.9 m)
History
OpenedApril 16, 2000 (2000-04-16) (Partially completed for I-10 Eastbound to I-95 Southbound traffic)
November 17, 2002 (2002-11-17) (All lanes opened)
Location
Fuller Warren Bridge (old)
The Fuller Warren bascule bridge in 1954.
Coordinates30°18′54″N 81°40′18″W / 30.315°N 81.67166667°W / 30.315; -81.67166667
Carriesfour general purpose lanes
CrossesSt. Johns River
LocaleJacksonville, Florida
Official nameFuller Warren Bridge
Maintained byFlorida Department of Transportation
ID number720156
Characteristics
Designsteel bascule bridge
Total length111.77 meters (367 ft)
Width18.8 meters (62 ft)
Longest span81.4 meters (267 ft)
Clearance aboveUnlimited
Clearance below13.4 meters (44 ft) closed
History
OpenedJune 7, 1954
ClosedNovember 17, 2002
Location

The Fuller Warren Bridge is the prestressed-concrete girder bridge that carries Interstate 95 (I-95) across the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. The current structure was finished in October 2002, replacing the original bascule-bridge span, finished in 1954.

The current bridge was designed by HNTB Corporation in 1990 and built by Balfour Beatty Construction.[1] It is over 7,500 ft (2,286 m) long, with a main span of 250 feet (76 m), and a vertical clearance of 75 ft (23 m). When completed in 2000, it carried eight lanes across the span.

In the spring of 2018, a construction project began to add two more lanes and a shared-use path to the bridge which was completed in spring 2023.

The eastern end of the transcontinental Interstate 10 (I-10) meets I-95 just west of the bridge.

Naming

The bridge is named after former Florida governor Fuller Warren, former member and eventual denouncer of the KKK,[2] who held the office from 1949 to 1953. He was a member of the Jacksonville City Council from 1931 to 1937.[3]

Original bridge

The original bascule bridge was tolled until 1988, when the city of Jacksonville abolished toll collections. Increasing wear from heavy traffic, including a 1993 incident in which a 3 square feet (0.28 m2) fragment of concrete broke loose, forced officials to ban large trucks from the bridge in 1998.[4] It was permanently closed June 13, 2001, when all traffic was moved to the new Fuller Warren Bridge.[5] After delays in removal because of legal and environmental concerns,[6] the Florida Department of Transportation used explosives to complete demolition of the old bridge on February 17, 2007.[7]

Switch to new bridge

Conversion from the old Fuller Warren Bridge to the new one began with one lane of southbound I-95 traffic on April 16, 2000.[8] The new bridge, built at a cost of approximately $100 million, was opened to all eight lanes in late 2002 and formally dedicated on January 13, 2003.[9]

Fuller Warren Expansion Project (2017)

About 2013, The Florida State Department of Transportation (FDOT) began the Your10&95 project to add operational improvements and enhancements to the I-10, I-95 highway interchange in metro Jacksonville. A planning department held several public meetings to discuss the proposed project and the cost of its construction with residents, community partners and businesses. They also asked for input from the public attendees. The meetings were held on February 10, 2014, on August 28, 2014 and on February 26, 2015. During those meetings, it was suggested that as part of the widening project to add two additional traffic lanes to the Fuller Warren bridge, a pedestrian shared use path should be added as well. The proposed path over the St. Johns River would connect the Riverside and Avondale historic neighborhood with the San Marco historic neighborhood. As the current bridge provides for no pedestrian or bicycle access, the FDOT agreed to implement the shared use path suggestion, as well as a number of other requests, such as adding traffic noise barriers for residents. The project also includes improvements to the I-10 ramps at Stockton and Irene streets. Construction began May 5, 2017 and was expected to be completed in the summer of 2020.[10] See Shared Use Path (SUP) renderings. On the morning of October 4, 2018, a fatal accident involving one of the construction workers caused a temporary suspension of the work.[11] By March, 2019 the project was near half way construction.[12] On April 6, 2023 the shared use path across the St Johns river finally opened.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ bridgepros.com. "Fuller Warren Bridge Project Update - Progress Report Nov. 1999" Archived 2011-07-01 at the Wayback Machine. November 1999. Retrieved on January 14, 2013.
  2. ↑ "The Legacy of Harry T. Moore". PBS. In January 1949, Klansmen held a motorcade through Tallahassee, where newly-inaugurated governor Fuller Warren, a former Klansmen himself, denounced them as 'hooded hoodlums and sheeted jerks.'
  3. ↑ Morris, Allen. The Florida Handbook 2001-2002. Peninsular Publishing, 2002, p. 315.
  4. ↑ Halton, Beau & Schoettler, Jim. "Fuller Warren ban widened". Florida Times-Union, February 5, 1998. Retrieved on January 14, 2013.
  5. ↑ Bauerlein, David. "Old Fuller Warren Bridge officially closes". Florida Times-Union, June 13, 2001. Retrieved on January 14, 2013.
  6. ↑ Patterson, Steve. "Old bridge demolition waiting on fish find". Florida Times-Union, June 17, 2005. Retrieved on January 14, 2013.
  7. ↑ Florida Times-Union. "Bridge explosion day changed". February 16, 2007. Retrieved on January 14, 2013.
  8. ↑ Bauerlein, David. "New ride across the St. Johns". Florida Times-Union, April 17, 2000. Retrieved on January 14, 2013.
  9. ↑ Bauerlein, David. "New Fuller Warren Bridge dedicated". Florida Times-Union, January 13, 2003. Retrieved on January 14, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Project Details". nflroads.com. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  11. ↑ "Body found of construction worker who fell into St. Johns River near Fuller Warren Bridge". firstcoastnews.com. 4 October 2018. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  12. ↑ "Lane expansion project on Fuller Warren Bridge on time". The Resident Community News Group, Inc. 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  13. ↑ "new bridge path". 2023-04-06.
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