A crew of anglers showed up to a Duval legislative delegation meeting wearing matching neon green shirts, asking state lawmakers for help reopening the Duval County side of the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier. The span, which once carried cars across Nassau Sound and now may never do so again, has sat closed to fishermen on its southern end since shortly after Hurricane Matthew tore through in 2016.
Leatrice Bell, one of the advocates who addressed lawmakers, said the fish are stacked up waiting for anglers and asked legislators to remove the chains blocking access to the bridge. The appeal comes as First Coast News reports the bridge provides access to the deep waters of Nassau Sound without requiring a boat — a draw that has kept anglers pushing for its restoration even though the structure closed to vehicle traffic back in 1999 after a replacement bridge was built across the sound, according to Florida State Parks.
The divide between the two counties' stretches of pier has been stark. As of October 7, 2025, the Duval County portion remained closed and deteriorating while the Nassau County side had been fully restored and reopened to the public, according to News4JAX. That report noted over $1.4 million had already gone into restoration work, including repairs and safety rail installations — all on the Nassau County side.
Who Pays, and Who Owns the Bridge
Jacksonville City Council member Mike Gay explained that the city council cannot secure funding for repairs because the bridge is state-owned, even though Duval County contributes an annual $35,000 toward its upkeep, the same News4JAX report found. Gay also reported that more than 200,000 people have been recorded visiting the bridge, underscoring its draw for the community despite the closure on the Duval side.
A balance of around $264,000 remains from prior restoration allocations, the station's report noted, while Jacksonville City Councilman Matt Carlucci has estimated that fixing the Duval County portion in full would cost around $100 million. Several recent state budgets had set aside dedicated funding for the bridge, but those allocations were vetoed each time, according to the First Coast News report — a pattern unfolding as Florida recently elected a new governor, per the same article.
Options Still on the Table
Florida Representative Dean Black has considered several paths forward, including repairing the existing pier, replacing it with a new structure, or adding catwalks along A1A next to the bridge, First Coast News reported. The Florida Park Service has separately said the age and original design of the pier may make further improvements infeasible, and its approved management plan includes consideration of one or more new piers to potentially replicate the current user experience, according to Action News Jax. That outlet also reported the southern portion of the pier was closed in 2016 following the Hurricane Matthew damage and resulting structural safety concerns.
Vice Chair Mike Gay has said commission staff are exploring grant options and urged advocates to meet with the Duval delegation in November, according to a separate report from citizenportal.ai, which also detailed Bell and other local advocates asking the commission to expedite the work. Anglers hope the bridge may eventually be restored for fishing even if it never again carries vehicle traffic.
One Item Among Many Before the Delegation
The bridge funding request was just one of several asks the Duval legislative delegation heard during the same meeting. Lawmakers also fielded requests for more transportation funding for the school district, requests for funding tied to homelessness initiatives, and a proposal for a bill that would create an open-container district in Pearl Square in downtown Jacksonville, per First Coast News.
The push for Duval-side repairs follows months of mounting pressure. A July 30, 2025 report from News4JAX described the Duval side as shut down due to deterioration and lack of upkeep, leaving it inaccessible to fishermen, and noted that Jacksonville city leaders met that same day to discuss the bridge's condition and maintenance — a meeting that left some local fishermen quoted in the report feeling more optimistic. That same report put Nassau County's annual contribution at $15,000, compared with Duval County's $35,000.
Officials have also pointed to incremental progress at the park even as the bigger funding question remains unresolved. A separate community session detailed by citizenportal.ai noted that water service and a bait-cleaning station at the park had been restored, even as officials and residents continued discussing both short- and long-term restoration plans.
