NTSB: Jacksonville's Dames Point Bridge has 'unknown' risk of collapse if hit by a vessel
- The Dames Point Bridge in Jacksonville, Florida, is among 68 bridges identified by the NTSB as having an "unknown level of risk of collapse" if hit by a vessel.
- These bridges, built before 1991, have not undergone a modern vulnerability assessment considering current vessel traffic.
- The NTSB urges bridge owners to assess collapse probability using AASHTO standards and recommends a task force to address the issue.
- The assessment follows the 2024 collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge after a vessel collision.
The Dames Point Bridge (officially the 'Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge'), Jacksonville's tallest bridge, has been identified by the National Transportation Safety Board as one of 68 bridges that have an "unknown level of risk of collapse" if hit by a vessel.
The NTSB released a report titled "Safeguarding Bridges from Vessel Strikes: Need for Vulnerability Assessment and Risk Reduction Strategies" on Tuesday.
The report says the board identified the need to safeguard bridges from vessel strikes as part of an ongoing investigation launched after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after it was hit by a container ship. In their investigation, NTSB determined that the Francis Scott Key was above the level of risk of collapse were it hit by a vessel, a standard established by the American Association for State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
In the new report, NTSB has identified 68 other bridges that are frequented by ocean-going vehicles and were constructed before the AASHTO guidance was released in 1991. These bridges have not undergone a vulnerability assessment factoring in the most up-to-date information on vessel traffic near the bridge. The NTSB says these bridges have an "unknown level of risk of collapse from a vessel collision."
This list includes the Dames Point Bridge, which was completed in 1989. The Dames Point is over 400 feet high and part of the I-295 East Beltway, over the St. Johns River.
Immediately following the announcement, First Coast News reached out to Florida Department of Transportation officials. We have not heard back yet.
First Coast News reached out to the Georgia Department of Transportation who sent the following statement:
"Georgia DOT appreciates the work of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and we take both the safety of the traveling public and the recommendations of the NTSB very seriously. Georgia DOT was notified this afternoon of the NTSB’s findings in its investigation and intends to fully comply with the NTSB’s request to conduct a vulnerability assessment to determine risk level of a potential maritime collision with the cable-stayed bridge which carries US 17/SR 404 Spur over the Savannah River in Savannah, the one Georgia bridge which appears in the NTSB’s recommendations. It is worth noting that this bridge, which was constructed and opened in 1991, is unlike the Francis Scott Key Bridge in that the bridge’s support piers are located on the banks of the river rather than in the water itself. Regardless, Georgia DOT will perform the analysis as requested."
When the Baltimore Bridge collapsed in 2024, First Coast News spoke to Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan who said the Dames Point Bridge has concrete barriers called "dolphins" on either side of the pier which help protect the bridge.
First Coast News reached out to the mayor's office about NTSB's assessment. They directed us to FDOT and said they still need to review the report to determine if there is new information or analysis before commenting further.
In March of 2024, we spoke with structural engineer Ron Woods about the bridge stability after the Baltimore Bridge collapse.
"The center suspension like on the Dames Point is a much beefier construction," Woods said. "It's a very substantial, robust construction. It could withstand an impact probably better than what was happening in Baltimore."
NTSB is urging the owners of the bridges identified to calculate the probability that they will collapse if hit by a vessel using the risk threshold established by the AASHTO.
The NTSB is also calling on the Federal Highway Administration, the US Coast Guard and the US Army Corps of Engineers to "act on the safety recommendations" in the report and form a taskforce to guide and assist the bridge owners.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa, also known as the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge, is also on the list.
This story was first published by First Coast News.