Dames Point Bridge

Dames Point Bridge
The Dames Point Bridge, seen from northbound SR 9A
Official name	Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge
Carries	six general purpose lanes
Crosses	St. Johns River
Locale	Jacksonville, Florida
Maintained by	Florida Department of Transportation
ID number	720518
Design	continuous prestressed concrete cable-stayed bridge
Total length	3244.9 meters (10646 feet)
Width	32.2 meters (106 feet)
Longest span	396.2 meters (1300 feet)
Vertical clearance	12.11 meters (39.7 feet)
Clearance below	48.7 meters (160 feet)
Opened	March 10, 1989; 22 years ago (March 10, 1989)
Coordinates	30°23′09″N 81°33′30″W / 30.38583333°N 81.558333333°W / 30.38583333; -81.558333333Coordinates: 30°23′09″N 81°33′30″W / 30.38583333°N 81.558333333°W / 30.38583333; -81.558333333

The Dames Point Bridge (officially the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge) is a cable-stayed bridge over the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida on State Road 9A. Construction began in 1985 and it was completed in 1989. The main span is 1300 feet, and is 175 feet high. The bridge was designed by HNTB Corporation and built by Massman Construction Company.

Until the completion of the Sidney Lanier Bridge in Brunswick, Georgia in 2003, it was the only bridge in the United States to feature the harp (parallel) stay arrangement.^{[citation needed]} The cables are arranged on multiple vertical planes, making a slight modification to the harp arrangement. Main span cables are paired to anchor into the tower in a vertical plane. Side span cables pair up to anchor in a horizontal plane. By doing this, four cables anchor in the tower at approximately the same elevation.

The Dames Point Bridge was the third cable-stayed bridge built in the Western hemisphere,^{[dubious – discuss]} and currently the 77th largest in the world on the List of largest cable-stayed bridges

Trapped inspectors

On May 15, 1989, the rope holding up a bucket used in an inspection of the bridge failed, leaving workers trapped. All workers were successfully rescued. The story of this rescue effort was aired on Rescue 911 on September 12 of the same year (see video).

External links

• Dames Point Bridge on Google Street View
• Mike Strong's Dames Point Bridge site
• Hannan, Larry (2009-03-10). "Dames Point bridge reaches 20-year mark". The Florida Times-Union. http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-03-10/story/dames_point_bridge_reaches_20-year_mark. Retrieved 2009-03-27. 

• 

  The Dames Point Bridge, seen from northbound SR 9A

• 

  Northbound on the Dames Point Bridge.

• 

  The Dames Point Bridge