Save Our Bridge group participates in re-opening

Save Our Bridge spokesperson Theresa Segal reported to local St. Augustine news reporters that history will repeat itself as the newly rehabilitated Bridge of Lions reopens to traffic on Wednesday, March 17th.

After two decades of debate, a group of concerned citizens formed Save Our Bridge in 1998 to advocate for restoration.

The Bridge of Lions was built by the City of St. Augustine — but is now owned by FDOT as part of State Highway A1A.

The aging bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a Civil Engineering Landmark; however, it was threatened with replacement. The bridge was nominated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of 11 Most Endanger Historic Structures in 1997. It was decided to preserve the bridge and rehabilitation began in 2005.

For the past 5 years, “Dixie’s Handsomest Span” (originally built in 1927) has been undergoing what some have called the most ambitious rehabilitation project in the nearly 450-year history of the city. The rehabilitation includes replicas of ornate light fixtures and railings that had been replaced in the 1970’s.

The bridge’s namesake pair of marble lions will return once roadwork and landscaping are completed next year.

The million-dollar bridge, a considerable price tag in the late 1920’s, was hailed as “an enduring advertisement for prosperity, good taste and daring optimism”. A celebration of the new bridge was held during the 1927 Ponce de Leon Festival which included a lively parade of floats.

Next week’s small but significant re-opening ceremony will be hosted by The City of St. Augustine,
Save Our Bridge and the Florida Department of Transportation beginning with brief remarks and a special ribbon cutting. The public is invited to attend the ceremony to mark the event which will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the west approach to the bridge.

“The ’27 Club”, a designated group of citizens, will then be invited to cross the bridge as the first pedestrians. Following will be a parade of cars provided by the Ancient City Auto Club. The ten cars led by DOT One, a 1920’s era truck, were chosen to represent each decade the bridge has been in service. The bridge will officially open to auto traffic at noon.

Isabella (Ingraham) Heard of Ponte Vedra will have the honor of cutting the ribbon at the upcoming ceremony. In 1927 the 10-year-old Miss Ingraham rode on the elaborate lead float in the opening parade, as was one of six young maids in attendance to the sponsor’s daughter who cut the silver cord.

Mrs. Heard attended the bridge’s closing ceremony in 2006 to “rejoin” the ribbon before renovations began. DOT One, owned by the Florida Department of Transportation, is also significant in that it was the last car to drive over the bridge before it was closed.