The Francis P. Whitehair Bridge, also known as the Crows Bluff Bridge, was a double leaf bascule bridge located in Crows Bluff, Florida that carried State Road 44 over the St. Johns River. The original bridge on the site was constructed in 1917; replaced in 1955, and though it was previously expected to remain in service until the 2050s,[1] a new version of the bridge opened in September of 2023.[2]
Francis P. Whitehair Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The Whitehair Bridge in its open position | |
| Coordinates | 29°00′32″N 81°22′56″W / 29.0088°N 81.3821°W |
| Carries |  SR 44(two general purpose lanes) |
| Crosses | St. Johns River |
| Locale | Crows Bluff, Florida |
| Official name | Francis P. Whitehair Bridge |
| Maintained by | Florida Department of Transportation |
| ID number | 110603 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Double leaf bascule bridge |
| Total length | 525 feet (160 m) |
| Clearance below | 17 feet (5.2 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | September 1955 |
| Location | |
 | |
History
The original Crows Bluff Bridge was a swing span bridge; constructed in 1917,[3] in 1926 it became a free crossing.[4] In 1954, a plan for construction of a replacement bridge was established;[5] the new bridge, dedicated to DeLand resident Francis P. Whitehair, opened on September 22, 1955.[6]
In the late 1980s and early 1990s the bridge was closed several times for repairs.[7][8][9]
A 1993 truck accident damaged the bridge, requiring repairs to its guardrails.[10] In 2006 a truck caused damage to the bridge's support beams in another accident;[11] the damage was repaired within a week.[12]
References
External links
- Crossing the bridge
- Technical paper on the bridge's mechanism Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine.