Buckman Bridge

Aside from the various traffic nightmares — the bridge itself affords a beautiful view of the St. John’s River and riverfront properties.
Please drive cautiously!
Enjoy ???

This bridge gets a bad reputation in town for its traffic and low side walls.
The bridge itself is not unsafe. It is the drivers that make this bridge sometimes scary. Drivers going 80 and not using their signals is a huge problem.
The other issues arise on rainy days when people speed or when people tailgate in the mornings and would rather play on the phone than pay attention.
I actually really like the bridge and love seeing the water each morning and evening. I love to watch the sun rise as I am crossing over the bridge. I like the lower side walls so you can see the ripples in the water. For me it can be very relaxing.

We really need another bridge from St Johns to Clay County, although I do love the people drive down of the sands bridge, something in between would be nice

Growing up landlocked, it was always such a treat to cross this bridge as we were heading south. It was usually early morning, after driving all night from the midwest, and when we hit this bridge, it finally hit us that we were in Florida. The river views are gorgeous, (depending on the weather) and since we were headed to Ormond Beach to see family, we knew it was only about an hour until our final destination. We’d roll the windows down, take in the sunrise, and sigh a breath of relief.
As a Westside Jacksonville resident, the Buckman offers me another way to get to where I’m going. I do avoid it during am/​pm rush hours, as yes, I’ve also been stuck on the bridge for an hour while trying to get to work.
Please please PLEASE be careful on this bridge. After the fatal crashes last week, make sure you obey that double white line (doesn’t seem like most people do) and watch your speed and the traffic in front of you. It will get backed up for the Roosevelt/​Park street exit, so just keep some distance and be safe.

This is definitely a bridge with a purpose opened in 1970 it was never meant to be a thing of beauty, but for me it’s a bridge unlike any other bridge so its uniqueness makes it beautiful in my eyes.
Henry Holland Buckman, a prominent legislator and attorney who was instrumental in establishing the states road system would be proud that this bridge named in his honor is so beneficial and loved by the community by providing a convenient route for their daily commute.
I also think he would love the fact that a bunch of Unilocalers like us appreciate his contribution to society enough to review it so positively and document it in the journals of history.

3 stars.
If I were just rating the bridge, I would give it 5. Being someone from Mandarin, who has sat in the Buckman Mandarin to Orange Park traffic for many hours of my life I have to drop it to 3 though. I’m not sure why the traffic is frequently so crazy on this bridge but it is annoying at best.

I have been going over the Buckman Bridge as long as I’ve lived in the Jacksonville area. When I used to work on the Southside, it was a necessary evil if you are coming from Fleming Island & Orange Park. Since then, it has been widened and improved to accommodate the ever growing population on the west side of town.
The best part about the Buckman is the beautiful views of the St. Johns River when you’re crossing. And if you’re new to the area and cant’ remember all the bridges in town, just remember that while crossing this one – it kind of feels like you’re being gently bucked. Silly, I know… but true. :)

It crosses the water and gets me safely from point a to b.
The pavement gives it a bounce effect, which can be really fun if you pick the right music.

Deathtrap! Grit your teeth and bear it if you have to cross this treacherous road. So many horrible accidents. It’s too bad it’s only one of 2 places to cross the river.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine how many times I’ve driven over the Buckman. Currently, it’s at least 2 times a day, 5 days a week. It’s a nice bridge and thank God for it. As other people have mentioned, when it gets windy, be extra careful as you will feel every gust.

I actually like this bridge a lot. I work in Mandarin and have to make my way back to Orange Park after work when the sun is slowly setting (and boy is it beautiful!).
Really, the only thing I don’t like is how my car gets beat up by the wind. My little car gets pushed side to side.
It’s a pretty simple bridge, but I wish they added more too it to make it more visually appealing. I guess it does it’s job though, right?

I drive over this bridge A LOT. The view is decent, and the bridge is so low it’s like skimming across the river. The traffic can really suck on this bridge sometimes. As far as bridges go, its a mediocre drive compared to many others I’ve crossed. If you must cross this bridge, so be it, but it’s definitely no Golden Gate.

I can’t even begin to imagine trying to get from Orange Park to Mandarin prior to this bridge opening in 1970. Holy cow… people really had one helluva drive back then!
The bridge is a long one at just a little over 3 miles. It looks like it’s long and flat, but it actually goes up pretty darn high. There are beautiful views on both sides of the St. John’s River and if it’s a clear day, you get a beautiful view of downtown Jacksonville at a certain point on the bridge. On very windy days, you can actually feel your car swaying, so make sure to keep both hands firmly on the wheel so you are in full control of your vehicle.
Like someone else mentioned, during rush hour, traffic can be a real bear on this bridge, especially if you need to get off at either San Jose Blvd. in Mandarin or the first two exits in Orange Park which are 17/​Roosevelt and Blanding Blvd. If you don’t have to get off at any of those exits during rush hour, if you stay in the far left lane (no matter which direction you are heading), then you shouldn’t have too much traffic to deal with. The far left lane tends to flow pretty smoothly even during rush hour. The problem is when you have to get off at one of the immediate exits.
I always love going over this bridge because of the lovely views. Luckily, it’s usually my husband who is driving, so I can take in the sights of the river and downtown without having to keep my eyes on the road.

I have always been a fan of bridges. Especially ones that are long and cross over big bodies of water. I was told about this bridge from a fellow helper who holds the crown for this place. I was actually excited to get the check in so I could write a review for it. I was thoroughly happy with the length and size of the bridge because it had that cruise a long factor that most bridges I have been on. Cruising (Smokey Robinson reference) along was very comforting and relaxing for me. I would like to definitely enhance my experience with this bridge by actually getting out and taking some pictures. It could be dangerous with the cars coming down the road, but hey that adds to the whole excitement factor. Since I love the some of the dangers of doing that, it is up my alley. Looking forward to getting on the bridge again.

For this water baby, the expanse of this bridge is perfect because I can take it in for a hot minute when I need to make my way over to the Westside.
I can understand the complaints it gets during rush hours because once you’re on the bridge, you’re on it for a while. I don’t usually have to cross during these times to I’ve never experience the brunt of it.
The design has always interested me because I can only picture what it would like if they had built it more like a ‘traditional’ bridge.

The Buckman is a bridge I wouldn’t mind getting stuck on during a sunset/​rise. Every time my wife and I drive across it we are amazed by its views as if it was the first time. The traffic isn’t so bad after 6pm but it all depends on your tolerance level idiot drivers.

I always enjoy crossing over the Buckman. The views are so expansive that your can quite often view a number of micro-​climate events going on in the area. Easy connections from Park Ave to San Jose and vice-​versa as you have your own lane all the way, although rush hour can be slow. A fun ride.

I don’t condone taking pictures while driving but, the Florida Sunsets are AMAZING from both sides of the bridge. Ive taken too many photos to count while driving of-​course on the Buckman of all he different sunsets and weather phenomenons.
I’ve also kayaked from the NAS Marina to the bridge and back. It’s a very good workout and was about an hour long paddle-​out and back.

Named after Henry Holland Buckman, a legislator who was instrumental in establishing the Florida state road system, this bridge spans the St John’s when going from Orange Park or the Westside over to Mandarin or vice versa. I drive a Mini Cooper and I particularly love driving over this bridge with my windows down and my sun roof open. The breeze can be felt, even on one of those hot and humid days. For those who aren’t a fan of heights, this isn’t too high off the ground as compared to the likes of the Mathews or Dames Point.
Closings of the Buckman are rare, but it will close if there are sustained winds of 40 mph or more. Traffic is also a big factor here, especially during rush hour. On the west side of the bridge, you have the Orange Park exits as well as NAS Jacksonville and on the east side, you have Mandarin. I’d keep some audio books or podcasts if you know you’ll be stuck in the car for awhile.
I’ve kayaked this part of the St. John’s from the boat launch at NAS Jax down to the Buckman and back. It’s a great workout and little do most people realize, this whole area is chock full of manatees and other wildlife.