Great Bridge, but Is It History?

Founded in 1565, this is America’s oldest city. And, not surprisingly, some of it is crumbling with age.

The 300-year-old Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, for example, is in such bad shape from water damage and cracking walls that officials have asked Congress for $3 million to make repairs.

But it is the condition of a much newer landmark, the Bridge of Lions, that has sparked a heated debate over preservation--shaking the Southern tranquillity of this colonial city.

Built in 1927 to link the city’s downtown with the beaches of Anastasia Island, the Bridge of Lions spans the Matanzas River in a graceful arc of Mediterranean Revival-style architecture. At its center are four tile-roofed towers that serve as counterweights to the drawbridge. Guarding the entrance of the bridge at the east are two massive marble lions.

Often called one of the South’s most handsome spans, the bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

But it is also a safety hazard, critics say, with its two narrow lanes inadequate to handle the up to 25,000 vehicles a day that cross between downtown and the island’s booming residential and commercial developments.

The drawbridge also reaches over the busy Intracoastal Waterway, and its substandard 76-foot-wide clearance poses a danger to the yachts, tugboats and barges. Since 1982, according to the Coast Guard, the bridge has been hit by barges at least 30 times. When the bridge opens three times an hour to allow boats to pass through, traffic can back up for miles.

Many here, including three of the five City Council members, want the bridge torn down and replaced.

“I cross that bridge up to 10 times a day, and it’s a nightmare every time,” said ex-Mayor Eddie Mussallem, who owns businesses on both sides of the span. “It is literally falling apart. When that bridge collapses, my car is going to be on it, I know. I’m terrified.”

What terrifies preservationists, however, is talk of destruction. “The safety issue is baloney,” historian William Adams said. “This city lives off its history, and for us to tear down that history sends a terrible message.”

Laura Kammerer of Florida’s Bureau of Historic Preservation calls the Bridge of Lions “the most significant bridge in Florida in terms of architectural style. It’s the state’s best-known bridge. Saving it is our top priority right now.” In fact, the National Trust for Historic Preservation lists the bridge as one of the most endangered structures in the nation.

Mussallem argues that in a city as old as St. Augustine, the Bridge of Lions is not historic. “When it gets to be 200 years old, then we get to talking historical,” the 74-year-old ex-mayor said. “That bridge is not as old as I am.”

In a report released earlier this year, the state’s Department of Transportation proposed two solutions: replace the bridge or rehabilitate it. Estimated cost: $26 million.

But even DOT project engineer Bill Henderson admits there is no perfect solution. A replacement bridge still would provide space for only two lanes of traffic, albeit slightly wider lanes. And a rehabilitated bridge may not meet minimum Coast Guard clearance standards for boat traffic. Either option could cost the structure its National Historic Register listing.

The controversy over the bridge is likely to reach full boil at a public hearing next week. The DOT, said Henderson, expects to make a final decision this fall.

“We are assigned to provide safe and efficient transportation,” Henderson said. “The Coast Guard is to provide reasonable navigation. And the state’s job is to preserve historical resources. All three come to a head with this bridge.

“We’re still hoping to work something out,” he added. “But whatever we do, the ultimate decision will not please everyone in St. Augustine.”

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Times researcher Anna M. Virtue contributed to this story.