Buckman Bridge
The Henry Holland Buckman Bridge carries I-295 West Beltway traffic over the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. It was named for Henry Holland Buckman, a prominent legislator and attorney who was instrumental in establishing the Florida state road system.
History
Before the opening of the bridge, road travel across the St. Johns River from Orange Park to Mandarin was longer and more complex. One route involved driving north to downtown Jacksonville, crossing the Fuller Warren Bridge, then driving south, a distance of nearly and an hour of travel time. Another option was to drive south to Green Cove Springs and across the wooden planks of the Shands Bridge, almost twice the distance of the northern route.The first public hearing about the bridge was held in July 1963. In April 1964, after intense discussion, the decision was made to place the bridge in Duval County, just north of the Clay County line. Construction began, but the first concrete pilings exploded days after they were poured. Investigation revealed that the heat generated from the curing concrete increased Anaerobic digestion by bacteria in the brackish water and generated methane gas. The engineers were forced to change their construction method.
Details
[image:Buckman Bridge 20100119 0539.JPG|thumb|left|An aerial view of the bridge looking northeast; NAS Jacksonville lies north of the western terminus of the bridge, seen in the left-center portion of this photo.]The bridge is of beam-type construction, approximately in length, and travels roughly east–west. The eastbound and westbound lanes are built on separate bridge structures. Average daily traffic in 1996 was estimated at 78,000 vehicles. In 1995, the bridge was expanded from two lanes in each direction with partial breakdown lanes to four lanes in each direction with full breakdown lanes. A Florida Department of Transportation study in September 1997 counted 110,743 vehicles. With busy exits within a of either end of the bridge, rush-hour backups are typical. Downtown Jacksonville and Naval Air Station Jacksonville are visible from the bridge to the north. On a clear day, the Seminole Electric power plant in Palatka can be seen to the south of the bridge.