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In 1967 Doc Driver obtained a patent for a “Hydraulic Operating System for Opening Bridges”. In the years since this patent, hydraulic drives have become commonplace on movable bridges. Doc’s last project, the Indiantown Road (SR 706) Bridge in Jupiter, Florida (seen below) stands as a shining example of his technological innovation. Doc developed a unique platform pier and a skewed draw span that reduced the length of the draw. This resulted in significant economic benefits for the Indiantown Road Bridge. As design engineers, the goal should be to create bridges that are not only functional but that become an integral part of the community, something that will be a reference point for community events and a focal point for memories of future generations. Doc Driver was gifted with the vision to combine engineering excellence and beauty in each of his projects.
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Ernest
Carl Driver
was one of Florida’s great bridge engineers. Throughout the
state his designs are synonymous with engineering excellence and
innovation. "Doc" Driver, as he was affectionately known to his
peers, played a lead role in the history of Florida’s
drawbridges from 1954 until his death in 1995. One cannot travel
the Intracoastal Waterway in South Florida without passing under
or over many of his designs. Just the stretch from Miami Beach
to Jupiter includes over a dozen of his works. 