{{Short description|Bridge in Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox bridge | bridge_name = Dames Point Bridge | official_name = Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge | image = Dames_Point_Bridge,_Jacksonville_FL_Pano_2.jpg | image_size=300px | caption = Dames Point Bridge in 2010. | locale = Jacksonville, Florida | carries = {{jct|state=FL|I|295|name1=SR&nbsp;9A / Jacksonville Eastern Beltway}}<br />(six general purpose lanes) | crosses = St. Johns River | id = 720518 | maint = Florida Department of Transportation | begin = 1985 | open = {{start date and age|1989|03|10}} | below = 175 feet (53.34 m) | height = 471 feet (143.5 m) | design = Continuous prestressed concrete cable-stayed bridge | mainspan = 1,300 feet (396.2 m) | length = 10,646 feet (3244.9 m) | width = 106 feet (32.2 m) | clearance = 39.7 feet (12.11 m) | coordinates = {{coord|30.3858|-81.5574|scale:25000|display=inline,title}} | mapframe-zoom = 10 | traffic = 77,000 (2019) }}

The '''Dames Point Bridge''' (officially the '''Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge''') is a cable-stayed bridge over the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, United States on the Interstate 295 East Beltway. Construction began in 1985 and was completed in 1989. The main span is {{convert|1300|ft|1}}, and is {{convert|175|ft|1}} high. The bridge was designed by HNTB Corporation and RS&H, Inc. The Massman Construction Company built the bridge.<ref name=mark>{{cite web |first=Larry |last=Hannan |title=Dames Point bridge reaches 20-year mark |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-03-10/story/dames_point_bridge_reaches_20-year_mark |work=The Florida Times-Union |date=March 10, 2009 |access-date=March 27, 2009}}</ref>

==Design== The bridge's cables are arranged on multiple vertical planes in a slight modification to the harp (parallel) stay arrangement.<ref name=weeks>{{cite web|last=Weeks|first=John|title=Dames Point Bridge|url=https://www.johnweeks.com/cablestay/pages/csb04.html|publisher=johnweeks.com|access-date=May 15, 2012}}</ref> Main span cables are paired to anchor into the tower in a vertical plane while side span cables pair up to anchor in a horizontal plane such that four cables anchor in each tower at approximately the same elevation.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Podolny | first1=Walter Jr. |title=Concrete Cable-Stayed Bridges |url=https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1978/665v2/665v2-015.pdf |access-date=18 July 2018 |page=129}}</ref>

==Superlatives== Until the 2003 completion of the Sidney Lanier Bridge in Brunswick, Georgia, the Dames Point Bridge was the only bridge in the United States to feature the harp stay arrangement.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Archaeological Consultants, Inc. |title=The Historic Highway Bridges of Florida |url=http://www.fdot.gov/environment/pubs/Historic%20Highway%20Bridges%20of%20Florida%202010%20Update.pdf |publisher=Florida Department of Transportation |access-date=18 July 2018 |page=122 |date=December 2012}}</ref>

It remains one of the largest cable-stayed bridges in the United States,<ref name=weeks/><ref name=park>{{cite web|title=Dames Point Park|url=http://apps2.coj.net/parksinternet/parkdetails.asp?parkid=194|publisher=Recreation and Community Services&nbsp;— City of Jacksonville, Florida|access-date=May 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629015514/http://apps2.coj.net/parksinternet/parkdetails.asp?parkid=194|archive-date=June 29, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> with {{convert|21|mi|0}} of cable.<ref name=weeks/>

==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Northbound approaching Dames Point Bridge.jpg|The Dames Point Bridge, seen from northbound I-295 in December 2005 Image:Northbound on Dames Point Bridge.jpg|Northbound on the Dames Point Bridge in 2005. Image:Dames Point Bridge, Jacksonville FL Pano 2.jpg|The Dames Point Bridge in 2010 Image:Dames point bridge jax march05.jpg|The Dames Point Bridge in 2005 Image:Dames Point Bridge - 17 June 2013.JPG|The Dames Point Bridge at Night - 2013 File:Dames Point Bridge at Night - 17 June 2013.jpg|After Sunset 2013 File:Meetup DamesPt 6-14-10-9419.jpg|From the bottom in 2010 File:Long bridge (Unsplash).jpg|Its extent length in 2016 File:Dames Point Bridge Lance Asper (Unsplash lsCB9O lUwM).jpg|Road design on the bridge in 2016 File:Dames Point Bridge, Jacksonville FL 769.JPG|Another view of the bridge in 2010 File:Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge.jpg|Same view in 2025 File:BlountIslandMarineTerminalJax.JPG| View of the bridge from the port terminal in 2012 File:US Navy 081010-N-0486G-003 The guided-missile frigate USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG 29) transits under the Dames Point Bridge, one of Jacksonville's many bridges, as they make their way to downtown Jacksonville.jpg|US Navy passing by the bridge in 2008 </gallery>

==Accident== On May 15, 1989, while inspectors were checking the bridge for cracks and fissures, the boom arm holding a bucket snapped, leaving the bucket tilted on its side. One worker fell into the river below and the others were at risk of plummeting 145 feet down. The man in the river suffered a dislocated shoulder but was able to swim to safety. Rescuers rappelled down the side of the bridge to the other three workers and successfully brought them all to safety.<ref>"[https://www.news4jax.com/news/2019/03/11/a-look-back-dames-point-bridge-celebrates-30-years/ A look back: Dames Point Bridge celebrates 30 years]," ''News4Jax,'' 11 Mar. 2019</ref><ref>"[https://www.news4jax.com/news/2015/10/30/jacksonvilles-dramatic-rescues-caught-on-camera/ Jacksonville's dramatic rescues caught on camera]," ''News4Jax,'' 30 Oct. 2015.</ref> The story of this rescue effort was aired on ''Rescue 911'' on September 12 of the same year.<ref>Shatner, William (host), "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwa_sirrVNs Rescue 911 - Episode 1.2 - Dames Point Bridge Rescue]," ''CBS.'' (Unauthorized YouTube video posted on 21 June 2011.)</ref>

==See also== * {{Portal-inline|Transport}} * {{Portal-inline|Engineering}} * {{Portal-inline|Florida}} * List of crossings of the St. Johns River * List of bridges in Florida * Sunshine Skyway Bridge

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{commons category-inline|Dames Point Bridge}} *[https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=dames+point+bridge&sll=30.291608,-81.620972&sspn=0.00856,0.01457&ie=UTF8&ll=30.39035,-81.556857&spn=0.008551,0.01457&z=16&layer=c&cbll=30.386058,-81.557666&panoid=Kq5uJIm6zv3Zu_2nxgBTpg&cbp=1,352.2189202523472,,0,15.487202024416827 Dames Point Bridge on Google Street View] *[https://www.mikestrong.com/dames/ Mike Strong's Dames Point Bridge site] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwa_sirrVNs The bridge on Rescue 9-1-1] *[https://www.johnweeks.com/cablestay/pages/csb04.html John Weeks Dames Point Bridge] *[https://bridgehunter.com/fl/duval/720518/ Dames Point Bridge - Bridgehunters.com]

{{Crossings navbox |structure = Crossings |place = St. Johns River |bridge = Dames Point Bridge |bridge signs = 25px |upstream = Mathews Bridge |upstream signs = 20px25px<br />20px25px |downstream = Mayport Ferry |downstream signs = 25px }} {{Bridges of Florida}} {{Jacksonville attractions}} {{Authority control}}

Category:Bridges completed in 1989 Category:Bridges in Jacksonville, Florida Category:Cable-stayed bridges in the United States Category:Interstate 95 Category:Landmarks in Florida Category:Road bridges in Florida Category:Bridges over the St. Johns River Category:Bridges on the Interstate Highway System Category:1989 establishments in Florida Category:Concrete bridges in the United States