St. John's Connection
Published by the Florida Times-Union and the Record
Thursday, January 18, 2001

Bridge of Lions one step closer to upgrade
Environmental statement needed before construction can begin
By Michael Reed

The Bridge of Lions is one step closer to a facelift, but the Florida Department of Transportation has another hurdle to clear. The Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will be modified to increase safety for cars, pedestrians and boats. More than 25,000 cars cross the bridge each day and 10,000 vessels pass through it each year. The DOT is working with the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard to complete an Environmental Impact Statement, which is needed before construction can begin. Bill Henderson, the District Environmental Administrator for the DOT, said he hopes the final statement will be complete within two months. The Coast Guards role in the Environmental Impact Statement is to make sure the DOT follows the appropriate steps while doing the study, said Barry Dragon, Chief of the bridge operating section. "We can't tell them what to build," Dragon said. "All we can tell them is 'here's the guidelines, here's the rules." Dragon said that if any significant changes were made to the bridge, the DOT would need a permit from the Coast Guard. Under Coast Guard regulations the span under which boats pass would need to be at least 125 feet. But the DOT has chosen a rehabilitation plan that leaves the span unchanged at 79 feet. Henderson said the width of the span is part of an ongoing discussion between the DOT, the Federal Highway Administration and the Coast Guard. Meanwhile, DOT project manager Craig Teal said the consulting firm Reynolds, Smith and Hill has been hired to design the bridge improvements. The firm is working on the details of the temporary bridge needed to span the St. Johns River while the bridge is being restored. A geological survey of the area is being done. To fix the bridge the DOT had a variety of options that varied from building a new bridge to doing nothing at all. "We felt like this rehabilitation was the way to go," Henderson said. "We felt like it was in the best interests of the entire public. It will be safer for motorists, and it will look better than it does now." According to a draft Environmental Impact Statement, several improvements would be made to the bridge:

- All of the spans, excluding the draw span, would be replaced.
- The pier foundations would be strengthened and protected from further erosion.
- The existing handrails, light poles and light fixtures would be replaced with replicas of the originals from 1927.
- The bascule machinery which operates the draw span would be replaced or rehabilitated.
- The approach abutments would be replaced or repaired.
- The fender system beneath the bridge would be replaced or repaired, and dolphins would be added to improve the resistance to ship impacts.

The Bridge will remain on the National Register of Historic Places because the central bascule section will not be removed. The options on what the DOT should do with the bridge continue to be varied. The Save Our Bridge Committee is still active and its members want the bridge to remain a historic structure. "It is such a vital part of St. Augustine's identity" committee chairman Theresa Segal said. "it is such an identifiable icon." Segal said she was happy with what the DOT proposed because the bridge will be restored to its original appearance. However, the Citizens for a Safe New Bridge advocate more drastic rehabilitation measures. They want the lanes and the horizontal span to be wider. John Daniels, president of Citizens for a Safe New Bridge, said the lanes are too narrow to accommodate residents evacuating for a hurricane or emergency vehicles. He said a bigger bridge could be built and made to look like the old one. "We just feel that the bridge can be replicated and incorporated with all the modern-day safety features." Daniels said.