Bridge of Lions

Very unique bridge! I have never seen anything like it. The Lion statues are cool looking and look really old, well old style. I would like to know more about them because I never figured out why they are there.

I love bridges and the Bridge of Lions is beautiful especially at night when boats are going past. You can see the waterway and all of the yachts and ships floating around while crossing or if you are walking along the waters edge of the city.
And if you are lucky to see the drawbridge come up, that’s pretty cool as well. It’s one of my favorite landmarks in St. Augustine and I will one day have to take the time to walk across it on foot. I’m not sure if bikes are allowed on it, but I would definitely love to see the views that way.

Wait… what? Why does this place only get 4 ½ stars? Seriously? This is one of the most beautiful peaces of history in our nation and in our nations oldest city. No matter what time of the day you go… it’s gorgeous, it’s history, it’s us… preserve it, respect it and keep it for the generations to come.
I was going to write this long review on the bridge and it’s history, but I honestly don’t want to repeat others who have taken the words right out of my mouth and to the typing hands. I want to direct you to Dave O’s review… it tells you everything you need to know and more.
Personally, since staying in Saint Augustine we have included the bridge, among many other things, on our morning and evening walks. Sunrise and Sunset seem to change the bridge… transforming it into art. It is a photographer’s dream with always offering a different picture. Not to mention when the bridge goes up it’s pretty dang cool to watch! I just like to take a deep breath, enjoy the view of the moment, respect and enjoy it… and thank the historic folks for making it possible to have each and every moment…

We took this bridge back & forth when we stayed on St. Augustine beach, and would go to St. Augustine.
It is a bridge of lions and you will see them at the St. Augustine side. They are quite pretty and detailed, and actually a replica of lion statues found in Florence, Italy.
This is a picturesque view of St. Augustine, like many pretty areas you will find here. Take a walk by the bridge and water, and see the boats. You can just imagine what it was like in the very area back in the day!

Def! Recommend to walk Down Town St. Augustine, Florida Lions Bridge. Full of history.

This bridge is so incredible and deserves to be walked over as well as driven over. The architecture is stunning, the lions guarding it are beautifully sculptured. It’s worth your time to explore while visiting historic St. Augustine.

Built in 1926, the Bridge of Lions is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The lions sculptures located on the west end of the bridge were created and designed by a sculptor listed as F. Romanelli of Florence Italy (according to sources). Romanelli originally made the smaller lions located @ the historic St. Augustine mansion known as Markland (a.k.a the Andrew Anderson House). Dr. Anderson gifted the two larger lions to the bridges building project. It is said to have been his last gift to the city. He died before the lions were installed.
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NOTES: Urban legend says the sculptor Romanelli was so embarrassed to have forgotten to put the ears on the lions that he committed suicide.
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From the beginning this bridge was built to be a showpiece, costing almost 10 times what other bridges in the area cost to build. It was to be a work of art, but sadly after decades of service it fell into disrepair. In May of 2006, the bridge was closed for renovations. An elderly woman by the name of Isabella Heard was there for its closing. She was a special part of the bridges history because as a young girl she rode on the lead float in the opening ceremony of the bridge some 79 years prior.
While the bridge was closed for renovation, a temporary bridge was constructed. The 80 million dollar renovation was completed and the bridge reopened on March 17, 2010.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The result of the renovation is a gorgeous 90 year old bridge that looks as new as it did almost a century ago. It is a 1575 foot long masterpiece with a timeless look guarded by magnificent lions (the status symbol for Spanish royalty). IF you are visiting St. Augustine and plan to walk the historic downtown area, you simply can’t miss it. There is also a nice park-​like setting near the lions with benches and gazebos as well as a public dock currently housing a cool old ship called the El Galeón. It is an authentic replica of a ship that traveled the coasts of Florida 500 years ago. If you are a fan of the TV series Crossbones, you will recognize this ship! It was used during filming.
TIP — El Galeón will only be in dock at the St. Augustine public marina until July of 2015, so make plans to visit soon if you want to see this beauty in person:
Enjoy!

I have just got to give this bridge 5 stars not only because of its beauty, but because of the history. I’m not going to go into facts and a history lesson on the bridge because it’s already been done in other reviews.
I absolutely love the huge lions who «guard» this bridge. If you’re in the downtown historic district of St. Augustine, it’s impossible to miss this bridge. Make it a point to check this bridge out while visiting.

The new Bridge isn’t as photogenic as the old bridge but it is still a nice small 2 lane bridge that gets us over to our place.

Beautiful bridge. Safe, wide enough to walk, and offering stunning views of the marina and intracoastal. The lions guarding the bridge are an absolute masterpiece, and if you’re lucky enough to be in Saint Augustine at the time that the galleons are there, then you will be treated to some beautiful, full-​on, panoramic views of these unique Spanish ships and feel as if you have traveled back in time to another era.

A short history lesson on this magnificent structure
Official name Bridge of Lions
Carries 2 general purpose lanes of SR A1A and 2 sidewalks
Crosses Matanzas River (Intracoastal Waterway)
Locale St. Augustine, Florida
Maintained by Florida Department of Transportation
ID number 780 074
Design steel bascule bridge
Total length 470.9 meters (1545 feet)
Width 10.3 meters (34 feet)
Longest span 26.5 meters (87 feet)
Vertical clearance N/​A
Clearance below 7.6 meters (25 feet) closed
Opened February 26, 1927
Original Bridge of Lions
The old bridge frequently broke down, leading to calls for its replacement over the years. The man considered the «Father of the Bridge of Lions» was Henry Rodenbaugh, the vice president and bridge expert for Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway. In the early 1920s he organized the bond issue to finance the new bridge, selected engineer J. E. Greiner to design it – and had his young daughter Jean pour the first bucket of concrete when the work began in 1925. Its construction came at the height of the extravagant Florida land boom of the 1920s, and the bridge is one of its greatest landmarks. It was designed not merely to carry cars, but to be a work of art, and it cost ten times as much as more prosaic bridges constructed nearby at the same time. It was completed after the land boom busted, and the 1927 dedication ceremony had to be paired with the annual Ponce de Leon Celebration in cash-​strapped St. Augustine.
The Bridge of Lions is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was included by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) on its list of the «11 Most Endangered Historic Sites» in the nation for 1997.
From its earliest days, it was hailed as «The Most Beautiful Bridge in Dixie.“[4] It has long been a symbol of the nation’s oldest city.
It gets its name from two Carrara marble Medici lions statues that are copies of those found in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, Italy. The statues were a gift of Dr. Andrew Anderson (1839 – 1924), the builder of the Markland House, who spent the last decade of his life putting works of art in public places in the Ancient City. The statues were his last gift, and he did not live long enough to see them installed. He had them made by the Romanelli Studios in Florence, Italy, which a decade earlier had provided him with smaller versions which he displayed on the front steps at Markland. The lions are a symbol of the Spanish royal family.
Replacement bridge
A «temporary» bridge was constructed adjacent to the original bridge and traffic was diverted to this structure while the original bridge was being rehabilitated and reconstructed to look like its predecessor.[5] After nearly 80 years of service, an official closing ceremony for the original Bridge of Lions was held on May 26, 2006. Isabella Heard, one of the young girls on the lead float in the opening of the bridge in 1927, was there, in a wheelchair, to tie the ribbon for its closing 79 years later.
Several components of the original bridge were either being rehabilitated or returned (as lost components) to the rehabilitated bridge. Primarily, the exterior or fascia steel girders are being rehabiliated along with the bascule tower piers. Once the rehabiliation of the original bridge is completed, at a total project cost of $ 80 million and 4 percent over budget. The two lions were in safe storage for the duration of the construction.
New Bridge of Lions
Renovation work was completed on March 17, 2010 when it reopened for use the restored Lion statues were returned after a 6-​year absence, early in the morning of March 15, 2011.
The current bridge’s west entrance features manicured gazebos, landscaped palmtrees and a new publicly accessible dock extending partially into the bay.

Pretty bridge. Love that they kept the lions protected during the restoration. Do I wish they could expand it to allow traffic to flow better? Who doesn’t. Do I want to do so with risk of losing the charm of what the bridge adds to the landscape of this old town? Nope.
Seeing the fireworks over the water on July 4^th is definitely a site and fun to do every couple of years.

Absolutely beautiful and historic bridge in St. Augustine that crosses the Intracoastal Waterway and connects the downtown area to Anastasia Island.
The Bridge of Lions unique name comes from the two majestic stone lions who guard one end of the bridge. The lions were were created and designed by Italian sculptor, Romanelli of Florence, Italy and donated by Dr. Andrew Anderson to the city of St. Augustine.
While visiting the city I crossed it once by car and once on foot. It’s one of the prettiest bridges I’ve ever had the pleasure to travel across. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered one of St. Augustine’s most famous sites and once you see it in person, you’ll know why. Photos really don’t do it justice. You really should go and see it for yourself!

It is a cute bridge and worth taking a walk over! I didn’t realize it was restored for $ 82 million — YIKES!

$ 82 million? Don’t know if it was worth it, but it wasn’t not MY money! :-)
They have reconstructed a fairly nice-​looking bridge, but at a glance its historical value is not evident. You’d have to know something about the area to understand what all the fuss was about.

I was finally able to experience this historic bridge without the cranes.
I am delighted they reconstructed the bridge in its original glory, it is quite beautiful and an integral part of St. Augustine history! Have a bite at Acapulco on the terrace and enjoy the view!