Is the Buckman bridge to be feared?

[Megabox]

Many people have fear of their car going over the side of the Buckman into the river. I would say a car has a greater chance of getting hit by a train at a railroad crossing than going over the side of the Buckman bridge.

[thelakelander]

No I've never feared the Buckman and the river isn't that deep in that stretch. The bridge I most feared driving over was the old narrow Cooper River Bridge in Charleston. During the construction of the current bridge, it felt like 10 foot lanes with no shoulders.

[jaxlongtimer]

The scariest bridge I ever drove over that is at the top of most every list for US bridges is the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland.  The original span is very narrow and, at the top, the sides are just a couple of high tension horizontal cables between you and the blue sky above and the blue water below.  There is absolutely no margin for error!

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is located in Maryland. The bridge is nearly 200 feet high and stretches 4.3 miles over the Chesapeake Bay.

Due to the bridge's significant height above open water and length of the bridge, many drivers have reported having panic attacks while driving across the bridge, including their vision tunneling and fearing a complete loss of control of their vehicles.

Fear of the bridge has become so commonplace, a small company called Bay Bridge Drive-Overs has been created surrounding the bridge. The service will drive you over the bridge in your own car for a $25 fee. Alex Robinson, the owner of the company, reports an incredible amount of business. He drives dozens of customers over the bridge every day, making an effort to keep conversation away from the bridge to ease the nerves of his customers.

"It's functionally obsolete," said one customer. "There's no emergency pull-off." Bridge go-ers have even reported seeking psychological therapy to overcome their fear of the bridge.

[I-10east]

The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge at NIGHTTIME is the scariest ever! No streetlights, no shoulders, 18 miles of swamp below. It doesn't bother me in the daytime; at night is another story!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atchafalaya_Basin_Bridge

[jaxjags]

No I've never feared the Buckman and the river isn't that deep in that stretch. The bridge I most feared driving over was the old narrow Cooper River Bridge in Charleston. During the construction of the current bridge, it felt like 10 foot lanes with no shoulders.

Before I retired, I was in Charleston 1 or 2 times a month for over 30 years. I hated the old Cooper River bridge. It was similar design to Chesapeake Bay bridge but narrower. There were only 2 lanes as there were 2 bridges, one bridge each direction. Also you went up, then down, then made a 45 degree turn and the up and down again. Plus that bridge shaked a lot.

Used the I 526 bridge after it opened.

[Adam White]

The old Sikorsky Bridge on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut scared the hell out of me. It had a metal grating bit that was similar to the Matthews Bridge - but it was way worse. My car would always start sliding around and I would feel as if I were about to lose control. Apparently that was a common complaint and they finally replaced the bridge with a modern one.

[thelakelander]

No I've never feared the Buckman and the river isn't that deep in that stretch. The bridge I most feared driving over was the old narrow Cooper River Bridge in Charleston. During the construction of the current bridge, it felt like 10 foot lanes with no shoulders.

Before I retired, I was in Charleston 1 or 2 times a month for over 30 years. I hated the old Cooper River bridge. It was similar design to Chesapeake Bay bridge but narrower. There were only 2 lanes as there were 2 bridges, one bridge each direction. Also you went up, then down, then made a 45 degree turn and the up and down again. Plus that bridge shaked a lot.

Used the I 526 bridge after it opened.

[Seraphs]

Buckman scary enough.  Multiple bad wrecks, people driving in the wrong direction.  At least two people I know of went over the side of the Buckman and died.  People fly over that bridge like bats out of hell, all it takes is to get clipped wrong and autos become airborne.  I'm fearless, but the Buckman puts me on edge and I'm a believer.

[Wacca Pilatka]

The Bay Bridge in MD is notorious, but the worst for me is the Robert Norris Bridge over the Rappahannock River in Virginia.  It has a theoretical safety barrier but it's not a particularly encouraging one.

My dad couldn't stand the old Talmadge Bridge between SC and GA on Rt. 17.

[Dolph1975]

Does anyone know what the new electric (currently not on) signage is about that's gone up on the northbound lanes of the bridge?

[Florida Power And Light]

I can't imagine traversing Buckman ten times a week.
I typically pass Under Buckman via boat more than overland.
The fastest I have ever been in an automobile was on  Buckman...... East bound and down hill.
Dusk, wide open road with no traffic....... just too compelling...... Datsun sports car, six cylinder engine..... blue & silver color. Early 1970's.
First Coast Outer Limits Beltway Green Cove river bridge will be really scary for a number of reasons.

[Jagsdrew]

 Signage to indicate which lanes are free flowing, congested or blocked. also additional cameras throughout the bridge.

Does anyone know what the new electric (currently not on) signage is about that's gone up on the northbound lanes of the bridge?

[Captain Zissou]

I would say that locally the Mathews, Main Street, and Shands bridge are all worse than the Buckman.  There is no divider between the opposing lanes on the Shands or Main Street and the Main Street has metal grating that can get a little slick in the rain.  i used to drive over it everyday for work and it was always a tense moment.  There's also no shoulder so cars in the right lane ride on the leftmost part of the lane.  I would drive in the left lane and hug the center line if no oncoming traffic was coming. 

Chesapeake Bay bridge is scarier than all local bridges, but I've only been over it twice and I was not driving.

[thelakelander]

The old US 17/Ravenel Bridge over the Cooper River in Charleston was one of the scariest bridges I've ever driven across. The bridges in Jax aren't to be feared at all to me.

[jaxlongtimer]

Googled scariest US bridges.  Here is a typical recent list with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge topping it (includes a video driving over it): https://topofy.com/bridges-united-states/ .  Plenty of competition though.  Seems some people consider a bridge scary, not just to due to narrowness and height, but also length over water.