Carries Eight lanes of I-95 Locale Jacksonville, Florida ID number 720156 Total length 2,286 m Location Jacksonville | Crosses St. Johns River Official name Fuller Warren Bridge Opened 16 April 2000 Clearance below 23 m Body of water St. Johns River | |
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Maintained by Florida Department of Transportation Bridge type Segmental bridge, Bascule bridge, Girder bridge Similar Acosta Bridge, Buckman Bridge, St Johns River, Hart Bridge, Main Street Bridge | ||
The Fuller Warren Bridge is a prestressed concrete girder bridge that carries Interstate 95 (I-95) across the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. The current bridge was completed in October 2002, replacing the original bascule bridge span completed in 1954. The current bridge was designed by HNTB Corporation in 1990 and built by Balfour Beatty Construction. The entire bridge 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). The bridge now carries eight lanes across the span.
Contents
Map of Fuller Warren Bridge, Jacksonville, FL, USA
Naming
The bridge is named after former Florida governor Fuller Warren, former member and eventual denouncer of the KKK, who held the office from 1949 to 1953. He had previously served as a member of the Jacksonville City Council from 1931 to 1937.
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. It was permanently closed June 13, 2001, when all traffic was moved to the new Fuller Warren Bridge. After delays in removal because of legal and environmental concerns, the Florida Department of Transportation used explosives to complete demolition of the old bridge on February 17, 2007.
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. 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.