by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Jason Graham and his crew of eight are well aware of the pressure they are under. The Hogan’s Creek bridge doesn’t look anywhere near done and while the first Jaguars preseason home game isn’t until Aug. 9, everybody knows time flies.
There’s also the $50,000 fine that comes with a late completion date.
“It will be open,” said Graham, who is overseeing the project for Lucas Marine.
Started in January, the $2.8 million City-funded project is designed to widen the bridge, thus allowing the better flow of Hogan’s Creek. According to project manager Bob Scott of the City’s Engineering Division, the widening was needed and the football offseason was the perfect time to do the project.
“Hogan’s Creek has historically flooded upstream,” said Scott. “We wanted to get more water out.”
Scott said during high tide — and higher than normal tides due to storm surges and full moons — areas of the creek flood parking lots and garages upstream in other parts of Downtown. Widening the bridge will also widen the creekmouth, which will facilitate the flow in and out the creek, which originates in the Springfield area and empties into the St. Johns River in the middle of the Shipyards property.
Scott said another project will conclude the process, but it’s on the Shipyards property and will be up to LandMar to complete. The project involves the removal of a pedestrian bridge that crosses the creek.
According to Scott and Graham, the Bay Street project is about 40 percent complete. However, that 40 percent represents much of the harder, underwater work that involves assuring pilings are driven in the right places and to the proper depths. After today, said Graham, the divers will be done and the rest of the work will be above ground.
Lurking, though, is football season and the thousands of people who use Bay Street to get to and from the stadium. When the Jaguars host the Atlanta Falcons Aug. 9, the bridge will have to be done and the tons of dirt and debris will have to be gone.
“It’s going to be close,” said Scott. “Once the work above ground begins, you will start to notice. A few months from now, June or so, the precast concrete will be brought in.”
Scott said the project also includes the addition of a fifth lane over the bridge. However, he said, that lane won’t be used until the rest of Bay Street is widened to five lanes — a project that is several years down the road. He also said the Jaguars have not inquired about the project — yet. He said if the area looks in July the way it looks today, he expects the Jaguars will start leaning on the City.
“The last month you might see people working 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” said Scott.