Photos
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Overview Photos taken by James Adorno |
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Portal |
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Overhead |
Facts
- Overview
- Through truss bridge over Nickajack Lake (Tennessee River) on US 41/US 64/US 72/TN 2 (Dixie Highway)
- Location
- Marion County, Tennessee
- Status
- Open to two-lane traffic
- History
- Built 1929; tolls removed 1947; rehabilitated 1966
- Design
- Parker through truss
- Dimensions
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Length of largest span: 369.1 ft.
Total length: 1,870.1 ft.
Deck width: 20.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 14.6 ft.
- Recognition
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on September 6, 2007
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +35.02814, -85.54532 (decimal degrees)
35°01'41" N, 85°32'43" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 16/632701/3877130 (zone/easting/northing)
- USGS topographic map
- Sequatchie
- Inventory numbers
- NRHP 07000930 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 32614 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection (as of 09/2006)
- Deck condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Appraisal: Functionally obsolete
Sufficiency rating: 45.4 (out of 100) - Average daily traffic (as of 2007)
- 2,620
Sources
- James Adorno - adorno423 [at] aol [dot] com
- C Hanchey - cmh2315 [at] yahoo [dot] com
Comments
There are several reasons why. One, the area prior to the construction of the lake floods, and the bridge needed to be long enough to allow traffic in average flooding conditions. Two, the road grades were high, and the bridge needed to be long enough to connect to the road grades on each side beyond the projected flood areas.
How was this bridge built in 1929 if Nickajack Lake didn't exist where the bridge is today until a new dam was built downstream from it in the 60s some time? Hales Bar Dam, which was the original dam from 1913 that created Nickajack Lake was upstream from the bridge.
Surely the bridge didn't have to be as long as it is now before it spanned the lake prior to 1968 or thereabouts?
Is it certain that there wasn't a totally different bridge there before 1968?
Thanks for any insight!
Being from Indiana and living in Florida from 1984-1993, I made many trips back and forth. I found this bridge while traveling I-24 on one of those trips. I believe it is a K-truss of sorts. A beauty that I hope stays around for a long time.
I drove across the bridge today, it's seems like it's still in good shape. I had forgotten just how narrow it is, a white knuckle ride for sure...lol
This bridge is scheduled for replacement in Spring of 2008, provided they can get the money. A group of concerned citizens is working currently to get the bridge listed on the NRHP.