BRIDGE OF LIONS

By  Mike Miller July 10, 2025

The Bridge of Lions stretches across the Intracoastal Waterway in St. Augustine, Florida, tying downtown to Anastasia Island.

It carries State Road A1A, the coastal highway that runs along Florida's Atlantic Coast. Built in 1927, this bridge holds the charm of a Florida fading from memory.

Bridge of Lions

Its drawbridge lifts for boats, and pedestrians wander its sidewalks, soaking in views of a time gone by.

The Bridge of Lions was built during Florida’s 1920s land boom and was completed in 1927. Folks called it the prettiest bridge in Dixie, a nod to its Mediterranean Revival style.

It earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

In the early 2000s the Florida Department of Transportation decided to replace it with a high rise bridge to eliminate the need for a drawbridge.

Local citizens and preservationists fought the high rise idea tooth and nail and eventually prevailed.  The high rise idea was scrapped, and from 2006 to 2010, workers restored it, not replaced it, keeping its soul and beauty intact.

A temporary bridge carried traffic then, while the old lion statues got a careful polish. We long time Floridians sighed in relief when it reopened, still feeling like home.

You’ll find the bridge in downtown St. Augustine, spanning Matanzas Bay. It’s open day and night for cars and walkers.

The drawbridge lifts for boats, following a schedule: weekdays from 7 AM to 6 PM, it opens on the hour and half-hour, skipping 8 AM, noon, and 5 PM.

Weekends and holidays, it lifts every half-hour, including those times. After 6 PM, boats signal for openings.

Walk the sidewalks for a mile-long round trip. Gaze at downtown, the bay, or Castillo de San Marcos. Spot the lighthouse from the bridge’s heart. Stroll the nearby seawall to feel Old Florida’s whisper.

Lion at the Bridge of Lions