Dames Point bridge spans 25 years, uniting city, sparking growth

Motorists driving across the Dames Point bridge Monday might want to say “happy anniversary.”

It was 25 years ago that the cable-stayed bridge over the St. Johns River opened to cut minutes and miles off a trip that before March 10, 1989, would have meant using one of the downtown Jacksonville bridges.

The bridge is a main artery on the Interstate 295 East Beltway. It connects Arlington, the Beaches, and Southside with the Northside.

About 70,000 cars and trucks a day travel across the 2-mile bridge, officially named the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge in honor of a Jacksonville native who served as Florida’s governor as well as Duval County sheriff.

“It’s part and parcel of the growth of Jacksonville,” said Tommy Hazouri, who was a state legislator when the bridge project began and Jacksonville mayor when it was finished.

Aesthetically, it’s a real icon. But it’s also significant from a utility standpoint. The bridge serves both people and the economy, Hazouri said.

“I think it is a great asset to Jacksonville, opening up the Northside, North Jacksonville and the Southside,” he said.