Is it time to demolish the Mathews Bridge?

[thelakelander]

When it comes to the Mathews Bridge, Jacksonville’s future matters more than its past

Alan BlissGuest columnist

Opened on April 15, 1953, the John E. Mathews Bridge has for 71 years carried cars, trucks and buses across the St. Johns River from downtown Jacksonville to the Arlington neighborhood via the Arlington Expressway. Conceived in the late 1930s and planned during the late 1940s, it opened the Arlington community and the Beaches to a surge of post-WW II development.

The timing helps explain the predominance of midcentury modern architecture throughout the neighborhoods of Arlington.

The design of the Mathews Bridge reflects the assumptions of engineers and planners of the 1940s, prioritizing automobiles over everything. In the 21st century, those assumptions no longer apply, which is why the Mathews Bridge looks and is — in fact — obsolete.

The bridge is 7376 feet long with a main span of 810 feet. The overall width of the bridge deck is less than 50 feet. Four travel lanes lie between the steel guardrails that keep cars, trucks and buses from tumbling into the river below. For decades major bridges have included inside and outside breakdown lanes, offering a safe place for vehicles to pull over and leave the travel lanes free.

Full article: https://www.jacksonville.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2024/08/14/history-doesnt-matter-when-it-comes-to-jacksonvilles-mathews-bridge/74779902007/

[marcuscnelson]

I had a discussion back in February about the need to consider the generational investment we could be making in a future replacement of the Mathews:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1759393186093420904.html

[thelakelander]

I don't personally see the Mathews Bridge going anywhere anytime soon, unless by disaster. As for any expansions, we'll need a good billion and probably more. If that materialized, I'd guess it would make some sense to build a second span in one direction, that could include transit lanes/bike ped, etc. and then convert the existing bridge into three lanes traveling the opposite direction. That second span would also have considerable negative impact on wherever it touches ground in the Eastside and Arlington. The Main Street and Hart Bridges are also functionally obsolete. I don't see them going anywhere either but if so, I believe there would be similar observations made.

[acme54321]

I agree, that bridge isn't going anywhere anytime soon unless a ship knocks it over.  No one is going to want to foot the bill for that and the can will be kicked indefinitely.

[jax_hwy_engineer]

FDOT has a lot of other far more important things to fix before getting around to this bridge

Plus, I like it. Steel truss bridges will never make a comeback, and ought to be preserved in my opinion. The Mathews, Hart, and Main Street bridge are beautiful bridges from bygone eras.

[Charles Hunter]

The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (NFTPO) is nearing the end of the process to update the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) to the year 2050. The Draft Cost Feasible Plan (CFP) is currently being reviewed. A new Mathews Bridge is not included in the draft list of projects. While the state (FDOT) and local agencies can study a replacement, no federal funds can be spent toward design, right-of-way, or construction of the bridge if it is not listed in the adopted LRTP.

Regarding the western portion of the Arlington Expressway, between Liberty and MLK (or APR), there is a project listed. But, it is identified as "Hogan's Creek Restoration Project" with only $11 million allocated - so it could only include some work to open up the creek where it passes under the expressway near Liberty Street. So, no reconstruction of the full segment.

One funding disadvantage facing the replacement of the Mathews Bridge is that it is not a part of FDOT's Strategic Intermodal System (SIS). The SIS, to quote the FDOT:

The SIS is a network of transportation facilities that seamlessly flows from one mode to the next, with the goal of providing the highest degree of mobility for people and goods traveling throughout Florida.

The SIS includes all of the Interstates, and other major highways, along with ports, airports, spaceports, and the highways connecting them. The SIS highway component receives (if memory serves) about 80% of FDOT's funding for capacity projects.

[thelakelander]

Wow, I never realized the Mathews was not a part of the SIS. I guess I assumed it was but never bothered to look.

[tufsu1]

Regarding the western portion of the Arlington Expressway, between Liberty and MLK (or APR), there is a project listed. But, it is identified as "Hogan's Creek Restoration Project" with only $11 million allocated - so it could only include some work to open up the creek where it passes under the expressway near Liberty Street. So, no reconstruction of the full segment.

FDOT is doing a PD&E that would reconstruct about 1/4 mile of the expressway to daylight the creek - highly doubt that can be done for $11 million.

The City has applied for a grant to study a larger effort regarding the expressway through the eastside.

[marcuscnelson]

Wow, I never realized the Mathews was not a part of the SIS. I guess I assumed it was but never bothered to look.

Charles is wrong. SR10A/Arlington Expressway, including the Mathews Bridge, is a designated SIS corridor per FDOT.

[Charles Hunter]

Wow, I never realized the Mathews was not a part of the SIS. I guess I assumed it was but never bothered to look.

Charles is wrong. SR10A/Arlington Expressway, including the Mathews Bridge, is a designated SIS corridor per FDOT.

My mistake. I was recalling a conversation from a few years ago. I apologize for not checking source material - like marcusnelson did.

So, the bridge and expressway east of MLK are eligible for SIS funds, the section between Liberty and MLK is not. (If I'm reading the map* correctly).

(* Interesting, the green line for the SIS facility from MLK to the Mathews Bridge requires traffic to levitate between the two; it doesn't follow the actual path through the cloverleaf ramp nearer the stadium.)



I will now go sit in the corner and eat bugs.

[BridgeTroll]

Sounds like a perfect fit for a light rail or commuter line between downtown and Arlington/beaches... build a modern bridge next to it...