Parts of Jacksonville’s old trolley recovered using radar during construction project

Jacksonville, FL — It's not often you can make something safe and preserve pieces of history.

That's what happened as part of a nearly $2.1 million project to build a new bridge on Main Street over Hogan's Creek in downtown Jacksonville.

That bridge - which opens this afternoon, according to the Florida Department of Transportation - replaces the old concrete structure, which inspectors deemed unsafe for vehicles.

Crews replaced that concrete with a new bridge and also repaired and restored historical elements and drainage in that area.

Construction started last July after that section of road was closed in May 2016 by FDOT.

Ground-penetrating radar was used during the construction to identify and recover parts of Jacksonville's old trolley car system, which dates back to early last century.

Among those parts are more than 300 bricks and nearly 20 feet of trolley tracks, all of which were recovered with the help of various groups, including the state and city's historical preservation offices and the Springfield Improvement Association.