Dames Point Bridge
| Dames Point Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The Dames Point Bridge, seen from a nearby dock in 2013. | |
| Coordinates | 30°23′09″N 81°33′27″W / 30.3858°N 81.5574°WCoordinates: 30°23′09″N 81°33′27″W / 30.3858°N 81.5574°W |
| Carries |
 I-295(six general purpose lanes) |
| Crosses | St. Johns River |
| Locale | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Official name | Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge |
| Maintained by | Florida Department of Transportation |
| ID number | 720518 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Continuous prestressed concrete cable-stayed bridge |
| Total length | 10646 feet (3244.9 m) |
| Width | 106 feet (32.2 m) |
| Longest span | 1300 feet (396.2 m) |
| Clearance above | 39.7 feet (12.11 m) |
| Clearance below | 175 feet (53.34 m) |
| History | |
| Construction begin | 1985 |
| Opened | March 10, 1989 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 66,000 (2012) |
The Dames Point Bridge (officially the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge) is a cable-stayed bridge over the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida on the Interstate 295 East Beltway. Construction began in 1985 and was completed in 1989. The main span is 1,300 feet (396.2 m), and is 175 feet (53.3 m) high. The bridge was designed by HNTB Corporation and RS&H, Inc. The Massman Construction Company built the bridge.[1]
Design
The bridge's cables are arranged on multiple vertical planes in a slight modification to the harp (parallel) stay arrangement.[2] Main span cables are paired to anchor into the tower in a vertical plane while side span cables pair up to anchor in a horizontal plane such that four cables anchor in each tower at approximately the same elevation.
Superlatives
Until the 2003 completion of the Sidney Lanier Bridge in Brunswick, Georgia the Dames Point Bridge was the only bridge in the United States to feature the harp stay arrangement.
It remains is one of the largest cable-stayed bridges built in the United States[2][3] having 21 miles (34 km) of cable.[2]
Gallery
The Dames Point Bridge, seen from northbound I-295
Northbound on the Dames Point Bridge.
The Dames Point Bridge
The Dames Point Bridge in 2005
The Dames Point Bridge at Night - 2013
Accident
On May 15, 1989 while inspectors were checking the bridge for cracks and fissures, the boom arm holding a bucket snapped leaving the bucket tilted on its side and the workers at risk of plummeting hundreds of feet to the river below. Rescuers rappelled down the side of the bridge to the workers and successfully brought all of them to safety. The story of this rescue effort was aired on Rescue 911 on September 12 of the same year.
References
- ↑ Hannan, Larry (March 10, 2009). "Dames Point bridge reaches 20-year mark". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
- 1 2 3 Weeks, John. "Dames Point Bridge". johnweeks.com. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
- ↑ "Dames Point Park". Recreation and Community Services — City of Jacksonville, Florida. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
External links
Media related to Dames Point Bridge at Wikimedia Commons- Dames Point Bridge on Google Street View
- Mike Strong's Dames Point Bridge site
- The bridge on Rescue 9-1-1
- John Weeks Dames Point Bridge
- Dames Point Bridge - Bridgehunters.com
| Crossings of the St. Johns River | ||||
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