Memorial Bridge spans the

St. Johns River The St. Johns River () is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and is the most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders 12 counties. The drop in elevation from River s ...

and connects Palatka to

East Palatka, Florida East Palatka is a census-designated place (CDP) in Putnam County, Florida, United States. It is located on the east side of the City of Palatka at the intersection of U.S. Route 17/ State Road 20/ State Road 100 and the southwestern terminus of ...

. The bridge is the only permanent vehicle crossing between

Green Cove Springs Green Cove Springs is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Florida, United States. Green Cove Springs is a part of the Jacksonville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,786 at the 2020 census, up from 6,908 at ...

and

Astor Astor or ASTOR may refer to: Companies * Astor Pictures, a New York-based motion picture releasing company * Astor Radio Corporation, an Australian consumer electronics manufacturer from 1926 onwards, which also owned the Astor Records label * ...

. As such, the bridge is an important part of connecting the region. Both US 17 and SR 100 use the bridge as a river crossing. The first bridge spanning this portion of river was constructed by the Palatka Bridge Company in 1888 and was built for rail operated vehicles. The first concrete bridge was completed in 1927 and carried two lanes of vehicular traffic. The former draw bridge was built to honor the military personnel of Putnam County. Four bronze military service men statues proudly watched over the bridge, with two standing guard at each side. Today, the span continues to commemorate the men and women of Putnam County serving in the military. The

Doughboy "Doughboy" was a popular nickname for the American infantryman during World War I. Though the origins of the term are not certain, the nickname was still in use as of the early 1940s, when it was gradually replaced by " G.I." as the following ge ...

statues can still be seen at the foot of the current bridge. Completed in 1976, the four lane bridge is 4,020 ft long and has a vertical clearance of 65 ft.Memorial Bridge over the St. Johns
archived a
Frans Place
retrieved 24-01-2011 Public parks lie at both ends of the bridge; Goodwin Riverfront Park is on the west end in Palatka, and Veterans Memorial Park is on the east end in East Palatka.

References

Bridges completed in 1927 Bridges completed in 1976 U.S. Route 17 Road bridges in Florida Bridges over the St. Johns River Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System 1976 establishments in Florida 1927 establishments in Florida Concrete bridges in the United States Box girder bridges in the United States Transportation buildings and structures in Putnam County, Florida {{Florida-bridge-struct-stub

See also

References