JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Confederate monument in downtown St. Augustine is on the move for the first time in more than 130 years.
The City of St. Augustine is getting ready to move the Confederate memorial in the Plaza de La Constitution this week to the Trout Creek Fish Camp in western St. Johns County. We reported last month when the City Commission approved a plan to move the memorial to the fish camp near the Shands Bridge.
Beginning Wednesday at 8 a.m., a small portion of Avenida Menendez, from Cadiz Street to Bravo Lane will be closed to traffic. The city says the closure should end by about 8 p.m. Thursday evening.
Because of safety concerns, the Confederate monument will be moved via barge up the Intracostal Waterway, through downtown Jacksonville, and then back south to Trout Creek Fish Camp, the movers told Action News Jax reporter Beth Rousseau.
Additionally, on Wednesday morning between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., traffic on King Street will be interrupted between Aviles Street and Avenida Menendez. The city says this closure will allow workers to move the memorial from the Plaza de la Constitution to Avenida Menendez where its going to be staged before its taken to the fish camp.
Action News Jax news partner WOKV reached out to the city and they said once the memorial is in its staging area then by sometime Thursday it should be moved to the fish camp. In August when we reported that the city commission approved a plan to move the memorial, the plan was to build a park at the fish camp so people can visit the memorial for years to come.
Drivers are encouraged to avoid these areas and take alternate routes. We’re told the times of these closures are subject to change based off of weather or unforeseen circumstances.
If you’d like more information you can call the city’s Mobility Office at 904-209-4211.