View source for Mathews Bridge

{{short description|Bridge in Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox Bridge
|bridge_name= Mathews Bridge
|image= Mathews Bridge.jpg
|image_size=300px
|official_name=John E. Mathews Bridge
|locale=[[Jacksonville, Florida]]
|carries={{jct|state=FL|US-Alt|90|dab1=Jacksonville}}<br />(four general purpose lanes)
|crosses=[[St. Johns River]]
|id=720076
|maint=[[Florida Department of Transportation]]
|open={{start date and age|April 15, 1953}}
|below={{convert|46.3|m}}|design=[[Steel]] [[cantilever bridge]]
|mainspan={{convert|246.9|m}}|length={{convert|2248.2|m}}
|width={{convert|17.7|m}} 
|clearance={{convert|6.80|m}} 
|coordinates = {{coord|30.327|-81.618|display=inline,title}}
|traffic = 13,700 (2019)
}}
The '''Mathews Bridge''' is a [[cantilever bridge]] in [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], [[Florida]], which spans the [[St. Johns River]]. Constructed in 1953, the bridge brings traffic along the [[Arlington Expressway]] between downtown Jacksonville and the [[Arlington, Jacksonville, Florida|Arlington]] neighborhood. It was named after [[John E. Mathews]], a Florida state legislator and Chief Justice of the 1955 [[Florida Supreme Court]] who helped gather funding for the bridge's construction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unf.edu/library/sc/mathewsbio.html |title=UNF Library: John e. Mathews, Jr. Collection - Biography |access-date=December 12, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904122339/https://www.unf.edu/library/sc/mathewsbio.html |archive-date=September 4, 2006 }}</ref>  Originally silver in color, the bridge was painted garnet in 1984 in celebration of Jacksonville's short-lived [[United States Football League]] franchise, the [[Jacksonville Bulls]].

==History==
[[Image:MathewsBridge1952.jpg|thumb|left|Construction of the Mathews Bridge in 1952.]]
Discussion on building a bridge to Arlington and the beaches began in the early 20th century when cars became more popular. In 1938 Duval County Commission discontinued ferry service to help encourage support for a new bridge. At this time, only the [[Acosta Bridge]] and [[Main Street Bridge (Jacksonville)|Main Street Bridge]] crossed the St. Johns River for vehicle use. Another reason for a new bridge was congestion on the two bridges. John E. Mathews, a state legislator and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, helped secure funding for a new bridge. The cost of constructing a bridge was $11 million to be backed by bonds and toll revenues. Tolls remained for the Mathews Bridge until 1989. The John E. Mathews Bridge opened on April 15, 1953.<ref>{{cite web|title=THE MATHEWS BRIDGE: HISTORIC OR AN EXPENSIVE RELIC?|url=https://www.moderncities.com/article/2016-sep-the-mathews-bridge-historic-or-an-expensive-relic/page/|access-date=January 17, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=History of the Jacksonville Urban Core Bridges|url=https://firstcoastmagazine.com/blog/history-of-the-jacksonville-urban-core-bridges/|website=firstcoastmagazine.com|access-date=January 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102161439/https://firstcoastmagazine.com/blog/history-of-the-jacksonville-urban-core-bridges/|archive-date=January 2, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The bridge had a notoriously problematic grating in the center span. After the previous grating wore out, a new one was installed, causing drivers to complain that the replacement was slippery and difficult to cross. That grating was replaced with a new, "state of the art" grating, which also provoked controversy causing citizens to pressure the [[Jacksonville City Council]] to act again concerning the grating. This initially only resulted in reducing the speed limit and roughing up the grating. In 2007, the bridge underwent a $12.9 million deck replacement project to replace the open grating over the center span with a concrete riding surface, and has since been reopened for public use.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ball|first1=David|title=Is Mathews Bridge Safer?|url=https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/matthews-bridge-safer|access-date=January 17, 2018|publisher=Jax Daily Record|date=December 21, 2016}}</ref>

In the early afternoon on September 26, 2013, the [[Military Sealift Command]] ship {{ship|USNS|1st. Lt. Harry L. Martin|T-AK-3015|6}} collided with the center span of the Mathews Bridge. The damage caused to the bridge was sufficient that it was closed indefinitely until it could be inspected and repaired.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-09-26/story/traffic-alert-jacksonvilles-mathews-bridge-shut-down-after-ship-hit-it|title=Traffic alert: Jacksonville's Mathews Bridge shut down after a ship hit it|date=September 26, 2013|work=[[The Florida Times-Union]]|publisher=Jacksonville.com|access-date=September 26, 2013|location=Jacksonville, FL}}</ref> Following repairs, the Mathews Bridge reopened in the early morning of October 29, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.news4jax.com/news/mathews-bridge-reopens-early/-/475880/22685258/-/qxlgrt/-/index.html|title=Mathews Bridge returns to service|last=Rakow|first=Erika|date=October 29, 2013|work=[[WJXT]]|access-date=October 29, 2013|location=Jacksonville, FL}}</ref>

Part of the reason of the accident was because the charted height of the bridge was incorrect.  The bridge owners (Florida Department of Transportation) notified the Coast Guard that the bridge was surveyed and the new height was {{convert|146|ft}}. This new measurement is {{convert|6|ft}} lower than the previously published height.<ref>http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/pdf/lnms/lnm07112014.pdf{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/11491.shtml|title = Chart 11491}}</ref>

No notification of the vessel's height has been published by the Navy, but local news articles report that FDOT has evidence that the vessel's height was also {{convert|5+1/2|ft}} taller than its plans indicated.<ref>http://www.news4jax.com/blob/view/-/26076956/data/3/-/15btmrrz/-/FDOT-responds.pdf{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
image:Mathews Bridge from the Saint Johns River.jpg|Mathews Bridge from the St. Johns River.
image:Eastbound Mathews Bridge truss.jpg|Eastbound on the Mathews Bridge
image:Below mathews bridge.jpg|A shot looking below the Mathews Bridge
image:Matthews Bridge, Jacksonville FL Pano 690.jpg|Picture of the Mathews Bridge from across the water.
image:The Mathews Bridge1.jpg|[[EverBank Stadium]] with the Mathews Bridge in the background.
</gallery>

==In popular culture==
* The Mathews Bridge is referenced in "[[My Generation (Limp Bizkit song)|My Generation]]" by [[Limp Bizkit]], who started out in Jacksonville.

==See also==
* {{Portal-inline|Transport}}
* {{Portal-inline|Engineering}}
* {{Portal-inline|Florida}}
* [[List of crossings of the St. Johns River]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://archive.today/20131011185150/http://search.firstcoastnews.com/default.aspx?ct=r&q=mathews+bridge Local news articles on the Mathews Bridge]

{{jaxbridges}}
{{Crossings navbox
|structure       = Crossings
|place           = [[List of crossings of the St. Johns River|St. Johns River]]
|bridge          = Mathews Bridge
|bridge signs    = [[Image:alt plate.svg|20px]][[Image:no image wide.svg|25px]]<br />[[Image:US 90.svg|20px]][[Image:Florida 115.svg|25px]]
|upstream        = [[Hart Bridge]]
|upstream signs  = [[Image:alt plate.svg|20px]]<br />[[Image:US 1.svg|20px]]
|downstream      = [[Dames Point Bridge]]
|downstream signs =  [[Image:I-295.svg|25px]]
}}
{{Bridges of Florida}}
{{Jacksonville attractions}}

[[Category:Bridges completed in 1953]]
[[Category:Bridges in Jacksonville, Florida]]
[[Category:Road bridges in Florida]]
[[Category:Bridges over the St. Johns River]]
[[Category:Former toll bridges in Florida]]
[[Category:Arlington, Jacksonville]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 90]]
[[Category:Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System]]
[[Category:1953 establishments in Florida]]
[[Category:Steel bridges in the United States]]
[[Category:Cantilever bridges in the United States]]