The Lake Jesup Bridge Replacement Project is a project that has been in the making for many years, ever since the first cart of dirt was placed in Lake Jesup to construct the causeway over 50 years ago. This is more than a bridge replacement project; this is an opportunity to improve the environmental quality and navigation on Lake Jesup. The Lake Jesup design-build project is a rare opportunity to leave the environment in a better condition, while improving public safety.

Lake Jesup encompasses an area of approximately 16,000 acres, and is located around the middle basin of the St. John’s River. The first bridge across the river was built in 1927, and was designed as a turnstile type drawbridge for ease of access into Lake Jesup. In 1946, as the need for access into Lake Jesup by boat declined, a fixed bridge was built across both legs of the river (see Figure A). In addition, a relief canal (the “Government Canal”) was created across the peninsula to address travel needs of boats wishing to bypass the bridges.  In 1951, a two-lane, approximately 500-foot long bridge structure was constructed to meet the demands of a growing population in the Central Florida area, and this structure has been in place ever since.  

Figure A

Courtesy of Geneva Historical & Genealogical Society

By the mid-nineties, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) had initiated a study to examine the impacts of replacing the existing State Road 46 bridge. At the same time, St. John’s River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and the Friends of Lake Jesup had begun a study evaluating the impact of the bridge on the water quality of the lake. In addition, the USACOE had also undertaken its own study of the area.  The bridge replacement project was put on hold pending the results of these studies.

Once completed, the USACOE & SJRWMD studies recommended that in addition to the bridge replacement, restoration of existing hydraulic channels should be performed to extend the bridge limits.Further, the studies recommended evaluation of removal of the existing SR 46 causeway fill to improve flow into Lake Jesup. These study recommendations in conjunction with FDOT’s evaluation of public safety concerns, traffic needs, and navigational issues formed the basis of the current bridge replacement project.

Preliminary engineering plans were developed based upon these recommendations as part of a separate project. As part of that project, the project team refined the alignment for the new SR 46 roadway, determined right-of-way requirements, and finalized retention pond sites, and right-of-way requirements. For further information on the preliminary engineering plans, please visit the PD&E project website.

In early 2008, the joint-venture design-build team of Johnson Bros. Corporation and Misener Marine Construction, Inc. along with the lead designer Wilbur Smith Associates was awarded the SR 46 Lake Jesup Bridge Replacement Project. Construction is currently underway.