Main Street Bridge (Jacksonville) - Definition and Overview

The Main Street Bridge was the second road bridge built across the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida (the first was the Acosta Bridge). It carries four lanes of traffic, signed as US 1/US 90 (SR 5/SR 10). The lift bridge opened in July 1941 at a cost of $1.5 million. In 1957 it was named after Mayor John T. Alsop, Jr., but continues to be known, even on road signs, as the Main Street Bridge.

North (downtown) approach

When the bridge was first built, its north end was at the intersection of Main Street and Water Street. Traffic continued north on Main Street, with a one-way pair being made at some point; after that, northbound traffic turned right on Water Street and left on Ocean Street.

In 1978, several approach bridges and ramps were built. Main Street now goes over Water Street, and a ramp now carries all traffic from the bridge diagonally into Ocean Street, with a second bridge over Water Street. Ramps provide access to and from Water Street.

South approach

The bridge originally ended at Miami Road (now Prudential Drive). When Jacksonville's original expressway system was built, in 1958, ramps were built connecting this intersection to the new expressway (now I-95 (SR 9)) connecting the Fuller Warren Bridge and the Acosta Bridge to Phillips Highway (US 1 (SR 5)) and Atlantic Boulevard (US 90 (SR 10)).

In 1968, a flyover was built between the ramps to I-95 (SR 9) and the bridge, with frontage roads continuing to serve Miami Road and several other cross streets. Thus there is now uninterrupted traffic flow from I-95 (SR 9) to the Maim Street Bridge.

External links

• City of Jacksonville article about the bridges (http://www.ci.jax.fl.us/NR/rdonlyres/e37inchbtgsjncjqzrmjkbnjoneublrb3q7z5ocwut7kuyo22ni7qxthqlglaqzgwamppxzyauisv42gzd7qqmj3qcd/bridges.pdf) (PDF)