This cantankerous aging railway bridge in the heart of downtown Jacksonville requires constant upkeep and has plagued boaters with its numerous maintenance lockdowns and its closed vertical clearance of 5ft (!!) severely restricting river activities on the popular St. Johns. Our thanks to Jeff Wingfield for this notice.

The railroad bridge crossing the St. John’s River in downtown Jacksonville, Florida will be closed to navigation March 10 to March 17. There will be intermittent closures through March 28.
This bridge is near and parallel to the Main Street Bridge.
Jeff Wingfield
sv BLUE MOON

And here is the Local Notice:

FLORIDA – ST JOHNS RIVER – FEC RR BRIDGE: Temporary Deviation.

The Coast Guard has issued a temporary deviation from the operating schedule that governs the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railroad Bridge across the St. Johns River, mile 24.9, at Jacksonville, FL. The deviation is necessary to accommodate maintenance and repairs on the bridge. This deviation allows the bridge to remain closed to navigation with partial openings at pre-determined times during the maintenance period. This deviation is effective from 1 p.m. on March 10, 2018 to 7:30 p.m. on March 23, 2018.
This temporary deviation allows the bridge to remain closed to navigation from 1 p.m. on March 10, 2018 through 7:59 a.m. on March 18, 2018. The bridge will be allowed to remain in the closed to navigation position with partial openings from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on March 18, 2018; from 8:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. on March 19, 2018; from 9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. on March 20, 2018; from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. on March 21, 2018; from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on March 22, 2018; and from 12:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on March 23, 2018. During these designated time periods, the bridge will provide a partial opening with a vertical clearance of 75 feet at mean high water at the center of the channel.
If you have questions on this temporary deviation, call or e-mail LT Allan Storm, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville, Waterways Management Division; telephone 904-714-7616, e-mail Allan.H.Storm@uscg.mil.
Chart 11491 LNM 09/18

FEC RAILROAD BRIDGE RESTRICTIONS FOR MARCH OF 2018 from Sadler Point Marine Center, Jacksonville

Click Here To View the Eastern Florida Cruisers’ Net Bridge Directory Listing For FEC RR Bridge

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of FEC RR Bridge