Acosta Bridge, Railway and road bridge in Jacksonville, US

The St. Elmo W. Acosta Bridge is a prestressed concrete box-girder bridge, 501 metres long, opened in August 1994. Its flat deck carries six lanes of SR 13, with the two-track Jacksonville Skyway in the median and sidewalks on the outside. In the photograph a thick cylindrical concrete pier supports the pale grey span, and the dark steel truss of the older structure runs below and behind it.

The original St. Johns River Bridge opened in 1921 as a lift bridge, financed by a $950,000 bond issue that City Councilman St. Elmo W. Acosta persuaded voters to approve. Tolls were charged until 1940, earning over $4 million for Jacksonville. Known as the Yellow Monster for sticking in the raised position, it closed in 1991 and was replaced by the current fixed span, opened in August 1994.

The bridge's name honors St. Elmo W. Acosta, the city councilman who persuaded voters to approve a $950,000 bond issue for the original 1921 span. Its predecessor was nicknamed the Yellow Monster because it tended to stick in the raised position. Since 2020, LED lights replace the old blue neon and can display any color.

Pedestrians and cyclists use dedicated sidewalks on both sides, while cars travel through the six lanes at controlled speeds. Plan extra time during peak hours, as traffic can be substantial here.

The original 1921 bridge was nicknamed the Yellow Monster because its lift span tended to stick in the raised position. Its replacement, opened in August 1994, is a 501-metre prestressed concrete box-girder span. The blue neon lighting that once marked it at night failed and was replaced in 2020 by LEDs able to show any colour.