ID number 110603 Total length 160 m Location Crows Bluff Design Bascule bridge | Locale Crows Bluff, Florida Opened September 1955 Clearance below 5.2 m | |
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Carries SR 44(two general purpose lanes) Official name Francis P. Whitehair Bridge Similar Bert Dosh Memorial Bridge, Astor Bridge, Snow‑Reed Swing Bridge, Trammell Bridge, Coral Springs Covered | ||
The Francis P. Whitehair Bridge, also known as the Crows Bluff Bridge, is a double leaf bascule bridge located in Crows Bluff, Florida that carries State Road 44 over the St. Johns River. The original bridge on the site was constructed in 1917; replaced in 1955, it is expected to remain in service until the 2050s.
History
The original Crows Bluff Bridge was a swing span bridge; constructed in 1917, in 1926 it became a free crossing. In 1954, a plan for construction of a replacement bridge was established; the new bridge, dedicated to DeLand resident Francis P. Whitehair, opened on September 22, 1955.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s the bridge was closed several times for repairs.
A 1993 truck accident damaged the bridge, requiring repairs to its guardrails. In 2006 a truck caused damage to the bridge's support beams in another accident; the damage was repaired within a week.