Print ArticleConnecting the city for travel and commerce, they create an an urban environment that is unique in the Southeast. They are the six bridges of downtown Jacksonville.
3. John T. Alsop, Jr Bridge (Main Street Bridge)
Image courtesy of State Archives of Florida.
Serving as the backdrop for many postcards, the Main Street Bridge may be the city's most iconic. The four-lane bridge opened to vehicular traffic in July of 1941. The Main Street Bridge is a 1,680 foot long steel lift structure, with a vertical clearance of 135 feet when open and 35 feet when closed. In 1957, it was named after Mayor John T. Alsop, Jr. In 1958, the south approach to the bridge was converted into an elevated expressway by the Jacksonville Expressway Authority. 20 years later, in 1978, the bridge's north approach was modified with several approach ramps to serve a network of one-way streets in downtown. 
Main Street Bridge and Friendship Fountain during the 1960s. Image courtesy of State Archives of Florida.
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