ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Within the next seven months, St. Augustine’s Bridge of Lions could become the bridge without lions.
The city could soon approve an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation to remove the two Medici lion statues from the west end of the bridge for $100,000 as part of a project to replace the seawall along the Matanzas River.
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FDOT told Action News Jax, if the agreement is approved, the lions would be removed from the bridge by January 31, 2026, and reinstalled by December 31, 2028.
Action News Jax told you last year when the $45 million seawall replacement project initially had an expected completion date of November 2025. FDOT now says there is no set completion date, and it is still in the design phase.
Some people living in St. Augustine told Action News Jax they hope to see the seawall replaced, but not the lions removed from their base.
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“It’s called the Bridge of Lions, but there won’t be any lions,” said Ronny Dixon, who lives in St. Augustine, “I think it’s sad. I mean, they’re such a staple of what we see every morning when we walk across, and I think that they will be sorely missed.”
Keith Bariani lives in the city too, and said he doesn’t agree with removing the lions or the plan to replace the seawall.
“The lions are St Augustine. This is what it’s all about. To take them away is going to be really detrimental, I think, to the city,” Bariani said.
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FDOT says it is planning on having another public meeting to go over the seawall replacement project sometime in December. The agency said, if the agreement to remove the lions is approved, the city would be responsible for storing and maintaining the lions while they are away from the bridge. FDOT said it would refurbish the concrete pedestals they are sitting on.
The St. Augustine city commission is expected to vote to approve the agreement with FDOT to remove the lions during its next meeting, which is being held on Monday at 5:00 PM inside City Hall.
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