New fences surround Alltel Stadium. Traffic is being rerouted through downtown. Coast Guard crews patrol where cruise ships serving as floating hotels will dock, and manhole covers and water meters are being locked. Security will be tight on land, along the St. Johns River and in the air for Super Bowl XXXIX, which comes to Jacksonville on Feb. 6. More than three dozen local, state and federal agencies are taking thousands of precautions to ensure the safety of the expected 100,000 visitors coming for the game. When the city won the bid to host football’s biggest game in 2000, local officials expected to spend $500,000 on security. Then came the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, resulting in a need for enhanced security measures – and increasing the budget to secure this game, according to some estimates, to more than 10 times the original figure. Residents know the added security will at times be inconvenient – but say the money is being well spent. Full Story
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