by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
There are still two big issues surrounding the repair of a 200-foot section of the Northbank Riverwalk: cost and time.
Joey Duncan, the City’s director of Public Works, recapped the Riverwalk section’s collapse for the Jacksonville Waterways Commission Thursday morning and said it may be a while before some questions are answered.
The problem was first discovered Dec. 24, when a section of the Riverwalk was found to have fallen about an inch. Originally, that was attributed to sand being washed out from beneath the concrete pavers. Three days later, the section had fallen another seven inches. The City promptly closed the section of the Riverwalk and called in divers to inspect the underside of the structure. The divers found deteriorating pilings, and the damage reached well under Coastline Drive, almost to the Hyatt and County Courthouse.
“We knew the pilings in the front were broken and had probably been broken for several years,” said Duncan. “The weight transferred to the pilings to the south and they basically crushed like a Coke can.”
Duncan said the construction of the Northbank Riverwalk may have led to part of the current problem. While the Southbank Riverwalk was built like a dock, Duncan said, the Northbank Riverwalk was constructed as a bridge. That distinction makes it subject to inspection by the Florida Department of Transportation. Duncan said those inspections may not have been thorough enough over the 45-year lifespan of portions of the Riverwalk.
“Those were level-two inspections and not all the pilings were inspected,” said Duncan. “Hence, the DOT missed some. It was the most economical way to inspect the Riverwalk and it was still safe. The DOT saw the damage before, but there was no droppage, so they didn’t report it.”
More inspections revealed three pilings in front of the courthouse have also collapsed. For the past week or so, Hal Jones Construction has been in the process of replacing those pilings. A Public Works employee working on site said the pilings are being driven to a depth of at least 70 feet from street level and require a minimum of 35 blows per foot of driving depth.
“We are driving new pilings to make sure the Riverwalk is safe,” said Duncan. “We do not want to lose this asset. Next week, we will drive new pilings in front of the courthouse and conduct a level-five inspection. We want to look at the longterm plan to manage the Riverwalk. Right now, we do not feel there’s a need for total reconstruction.”
Duncan said because the courthouse and its parking lot will eventually be sold to a private developer when the new County Courthouse is built, there’s no need to spend an exorbitant amount of money on repairs right now. Duncan said it’s impossible to determine the exact costs of the repairs or when the Riverwalk will be done.
City Council member and Waterways Commission Chair Lynette Self worried that portion of the Riverwalk won’t be done in time for Sail Jacksonville, a Downtown event set for May 5-7. Duncan said the large moorings in front of the Hyatt and the courthouse will be available for use, but the wooden bumpers will not.