JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Drivers crossing the Dames Point Bridge may have noticed construction activity and helicopters hovering along the St. Johns River.
It’s all part of JEA’s Fulton Cut transmission clearance project — a major infrastructure effort aimed at expanding Jacksonville’s economic reach.
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The project centers on raising high-voltage power lines that cross the river between Reed Island Park and Blount Island.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the lines will be elevated from 175 feet above high tide to 225 feet — a 50-foot increase that opens the waterway to larger vessels.
“Today’s activity, we’re working very closely with the Coast Guard, JSO, and JFRD because they’re establishing a safe zone within the river,” said Darrell Hamilton, JEA Manager of Transmission and Substation Projects. “It’s really an economic development for the entire city of Jacksonville, but specifically the Jaxport, because they’ll be able to bring in larger ships.”
During the current phase of the project, power is being disconnected from the older towers and transferred to newly constructed permanent towers, a process expected to be completed by mid-September.
“You’ll see the three towers to the right. They’re in service; power is going through those towers. And then you’ll see to the west, the new towers — we call those permanent towers,” Hamilton said.