A City's Pride Through Preservation

Citizens of St. Augustine, Fla., convinced federal officials to save the historical Bridge of Lions with an $88.7 million rehabilitation, completed October 2010.

By Mike Bernos

As the oldest continuous European settlement in the United States (circa 1565), St. Augustine, Fla., knows something about aging infrastructure. In the late 1980s, engineers deemed that one of its most iconic structures, the Bridge of Lions, was suffering from old age. Built by the city in 1926 to 1927 to span the Matanzas River, it was designed to be a civic amenity, as well as a link from State Route AIA in the city to its developing barrier islands.

Noted Baltimore-based consulting engineers J. E. Greiner Co. designed the "Dixie's handsomest bridge" with a double leaf, rolling lift movable span. While it is not a nationally recognized example of its technology, the bridge ranks as one of the most aesthetically important spans in the state of Florida and has a strong following of devotees within St. Augustine. In 1927, the St. Augustine Record wrote, "It dominates that city's waterfront, reflecting the good taste, daring optimism and faith of the people of this progressive community." The bridge, which derives its name from the two marble lion statues, which flank the western bridge approach, continues to be a source of pride for the city. It has been acknowledged by its 1982 listing in the National Register of Historic Places for its significance in the areas of architecture, engineering and transportation.

Executed in the popular, eclectic Mediterranean Revival style, the bridge was built as a mode for transportation, as well as an extension of the architectural character of the city. Its designers achieved the arched appearance by using steel, arch–shaped riveted girders that span between massive concrete piers. The bridge's octagonal-ended piers are topped by slender octagonal towers with barrel tile roofs that provide a pleasing textural contrast with the concrete. The majestic towers, set against a skyline noted for its prominent towers, integrate the bridge very well into the cityscape.

When Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) engineers determined in the 1980s that the historic bridge would have to be replaced or rehabilitated due to its deteriorated pilings, it triggered both state and federal review processes, including an environmental impact study as required by the National Environmental Preservation Act (NEPA).

Initially, the decision was to replace the bridge based on studies by the U.S. Coast Guard that indicated a span of 126 feet — a considerable increase from the original 79 feet — was needed to accommodate wider barge widths with increased frequency along the Intracoastal Waterway. However, during the 90-day review process and final hearing, an organization of local citizens called, "Save Our Bridge," was able to refute some of the Coast Guard findings and thus convince FDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that void of that requirement, rehabilitation was the public preference.

Theresa Segal, president of the organization, said the NEPA process gave them the vehicle to argue their point. "Our research indicated that the Coast Guard study was flawed; in fact, most of the barge traffic between Jacksonville and Florida took place in ocean lanes and not in the Intracoastal as the Coast Guard had indicated," Segal said. "It made no sense because they were proposing another two-lane bridge. As one of the oldest cities in the U.S., St. Augustine is all about preservation. We believed it was important to keep this very significant historical landmark."

Craig Teal, P.E., senior project manager for FDOT, said that initially, the state considered constructing a higher four-lane bridge. But he said FDOT and FWHA acceded to public sentiment calling for rehabilitation of the old bridge. "Rehabilitation was a compromise between replacement and restoration," Teal noted.

According to Teal, preservationists were given a big boost when the bridge was placed on the National Historic Register, just after renovations began, which required that stricter historic elements needed to be met, while still adhering to minimum design standards. Teal cited the bridge's bascule towers as an example. "They needed to be the same height and in the same location vertically and horizontally, which limited how high and wide the bridge could be." He said that in order to maintain the historical integrity of the bridge, the lanes are set at 11 feet with a 1.5-foot shoulder or wash.

"The biggest structural concern was the the substructure / pilings, which had to be replaced," Teal continued. "But with the superstructure, which is vital to the iconic image of the bridge, RS&H determined that most of the girders were salvageable; thus, we didn't have to replace them." According to Teal, the girders were trucked to a Lakeland, Fla., location where they were sandblasted and rehabilitated. "With the exception of the bascule leafs, which had to be replaced, you are going across the original girders and are passing the original bascule towers, all which were built in 1927," he said. Additionally, the approach piers needed to be replaced. The new pilings and piers accommodated a slightly wider bridge (increased by 5 feet, 9 inches), as well as meeting current scour and ship impact requirements.

Jack Haynes, P.E., project manager for RS&H, agreed that the biggest design challenge was the girders. "We didn't have a lot of information on the as-built condition of the original girders," Haynes said. "Many of them were significantly deteriorated, and they don't write specifications instructing how to merge old steel, fabricated in 1927, and new steel into a common component."

Haynes said that his team anticipated this challenge so they prepared a Technical Special Provision (TSP) to solve the problem when they started design of the project in 2000. During design, the team worked concurrently with the finalization of the Environmental Impact Statement to keep the project moving ahead, which allowed them to finish design and advertise for bids within five years. Rehabilitation of the bridge, which included construction and eventual demolition of a temporary bridge, lasted almost six years. The newly restored bridge was opened to traffic with great fanfare on March 17, 2010. "It took great diligence and cooperation among all stakeholders," he responded.

Early in process, there was no dominant consensus on what the new bridge should be, according to Haynes. "Clearly a highlevel bridge would have changed the nature of downtown St. Augustine," he said. "With the ultimate decision to rehabilitate, we had to work within the guidelines of the State Preservation Office, which valued rehabilitation over replication, yet still required structural integrity by modern safety standards."

Today, the bridge sits in its full anachronistic glory, replete with handrails, light poles and light fixtures, elements removed over time and returned to the bridge similar to the originals used in 1927. Park approaches — including the riverside promenades — decorative post and chain railings and light fixtures all complement similar elements on the bridge that all have been restored.

Recently, its namesake, the lions, were replaced, festered with bouquets of flowers. "It's been a long time," Teal said. "It's nice to see the lions back where they belong."

Mike Bernos is director of public relations at RS&H, an infrastructure consulting and engineering firm. He may be contacted at michael.bernos@rsandh.com.