Skip to main content

The Bridges, Crossings, and Structures of the Lower Mississippi River: An Introduction


Welcome to home page for Gribblenation's series on the bridges, crossings, and structures of the lower Mississippi River! Here you will find links to information about the many bridges, ferries, and flood control structures located along the river between the Mississippi & Ohio Rivers confluence near Cairo, IL and the mouth of the Mississippi River at the Head of Passes Light near Venice, LA.

The bridges of the lower Mississippi River are a diverse collection of impressive engineering achievements. Many of these bridges were modern marvels at the time of their construction and most of them are still among the largest bridges of their respective types in the United States. In addition to the numerous monumental bridges in this region, there are multiple large-scale flood control structures and spillways that supplement the river's extensive levee system. These structures are strategically placed and help regulate the flow rate and level of the river during periods of high water and flooding. Each crossing or structure in this series has a unique story to tell and they all play a vital part in the transportation and flood control systems of the Mississippi Delta.

The directory below provides a full list of these points of interest along the river. They are listed here in order from north to south, or from upriver to downriver. Click on any of the listed landmarks below to view the full article. (Click on any of the photos on this home page to view a larger version.) In each article, you will find links at the bottom of the respective pages to further sources on each landmark, plus links back to this home page, as well as links to the adjacent landmarks along the river. These links have been included for your navigation purposes on this site and we hope you find them useful!

Cover Photo: The Crescent City Connection twin span bridges connect downtown New Orleans, LA with the Westbank suburbs and the historic Algiers Point neighborhood of the city. It currently is the furthest downriver bridge on the Mississippi River.

Bridges, Crossings, and Structures of the Lower Mississippi River

Dorena-Hickman Ferry (Hickman, KY)

Caruthersville Bridge (Caruthersville, MO)


Caruthersville Bridge (Caruthersville, MO)

The Mississippi River Bridges of Memphis, TN: An Introduction


The Mississippi River Bridges of Memphis, TN

Hernando de Soto Bridge (Memphis, TN)


Hernando de Soto Bridge (Memphis, TN)

Harahan Bridge/"Big River Crossing" (Memphis, TN)


Harahan Bridge/"Big River Crossing" (Memphis, TN)

Frisco Bridge (Memphis, TN)


Frisco Bridge (Memphis, TN)

Memphis & Arkansas Bridge (Memphis, TN)


Memphis & Arkansas Bridge (Memphis, TN)

Helena Bridge (Helena-West Helena, AR)


Helena Bridge (Helena-West Helena, AR)

Greenville Bridge (Greenville, MS)


Greenville Bridge (Greenville, MS)

The Mississippi River Bridges of Vicksburg, MS: An Introduction


The Mississippi River Bridges of Vicksburg, MS

Old Vicksburg Bridge (Vicksburg, MS)


Old Vicksburg Bridge (Vicksburg, MS)

Vicksburg Bridge (Vicksburg, MS)


Vicksburg Bridge (Vicksburg, MS)

Natchez-Vidalia Bridge (Natchez, MS)


Natchez-Vidalia Bridge (Natchez, MS)

Old River Lock & Control Structure (Lettsworth, LA)


Old River Control Structure (Lettsworth, LA)

Morganza Control Structure & Spillway (Morganza, LA)


Morganza Control Structure & Spillway (Morganza, LA)

John James Audubon Bridge (New Roads, LA)


John James Audubon Bridge (New Roads, LA)

Huey P. Long Bridge (Baton Rouge, LA)


Huey P. Long Bridge (Baton Rouge, LA)

Horace Wilkinson Bridge (Baton Rouge, LA)


Horace Wilkinson Bridge (Baton Rouge, LA)

Plaquemine Ferry (Plaquemine, LA)

Sunshine Bridge (Donaldsonville, LA)


Sunshine Bridge (Donaldsonville, LA)

Veterans Memorial Bridge (Gramercy, LA)


Veterans Memorial Bridge (Gramercy, LA)

Bonnet Carre Control Structure & Spillway (Norco, LA)


Bonnet Carré Control Structure & Spillway (Norco, LA)

Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge (Luling, LA)


Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge (Luling, LA)

Paper Highways: The Unbuilt New Orleans Bypass (Proposed I-410)


The Unbuilt New Orleans Bypass (Proposed I-410)

Huey P. Long Bridge (New Orleans, LA)


Huey P. Long Bridge (New Orleans, LA)

Crescent City Connection (New Orleans, LA)


Crescent City Connection (New Orleans, LA)

Canal Street-Algiers Point Ferry (New Orleans, LA)


Canal Street-Algiers Point Ferry (New Orleans, LA)

Chalmette-Lower Algiers Ferry (Chalmette, LA)


Chalmette-Lower Algiers Ferry (Chalmette, LA)

Belle Chasse-Scarsdale Ferry (Belle Chasse, LA)


Belle Chasse-Scarsdale Ferry (Belle Chasse, LA)

Pointe a la Hache Ferry (Pointe a la Hache, LA)


Pointe à la Hache Ferry (Pointe à la Hache, LA)

The "Bridges of the Mississippi River" webinar was presented on the "roadwaywiz" YouTube channel in May 2023 and features discussion on all of the bridges included in this series. It can be viewed at the link below:


The "Bridges of the Mississippi River" podcast episode was presented on the "Gribblenation Roadcast" on Spotify in April 2024 and features discussion on all of the bridges included in this series. It can be viewed and listened to at the link below:

[Insert Podcast Link Here]

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Interstate 40's Tumultuous Ride Through the Pigeon River Gorge

In the nearly 60 years Interstate 40 has been open to traffic through the Pigeon River Gorge in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it has been troubled by frequent rockslides and damaging flooding, which has seen the over 30-mile stretch through North Carolina and Tennessee closed for months at a time. Most recently, excessive rainfall from Hurricane Helene in September 2024 saw sections of Interstate 40 wash away into a raging Pigeon River. While the physical troubles of Interstate 40 are well known, how I-40 came to be through the area is a tale of its own. Interstate 40 West through Haywood County near mile marker 10. I-40's route through the Pigeon River Gorge dates to local political squabbles in the 1940s and a state highway law written in 1921. A small note appeared in the July 28, 1945, Asheville Times. It read that the North Carolina State Highway Commission had authorized a feasibility study of a "...water-level road down [the] Pigeon River to the Tennessee l

Mines Road

Mines Road is an approximately twenty-eight-mile highway located in the rural parts of the Diablo Range east of the San Francisco Bay Area.  Mines Road begins in San Antonio Valley in Santa Clara County and terminates at Tesla Road near Livermore of Alameda County.  The highway essentially is a modern overlay of the 1840s Mexican haul trail up Arroyo Mocho known as La Vereda del Monte.  The modern corridor of Mines Road took shape in the early twentieth century following development of San Antonio Valley amid a magnesite mining boom.  Part 1; the history of Mines Road Modern Mines Road partially overlays the historic corridor used by La Vereda del Monte (Mountain Trail).  La Vereda del Monte was part of a remote overland route through the Diablo Range primarily used to drive cattle from Alta California to Sonora.  The trail was most heavily used during the latter days of Alta California during the 1840s. La Vereda del Monte originated at Point of Timber between modern day Byron and Bre

Interstate 210 the Foothill Freeway

The combined Interstate 210/California State Route 210 corridor of the Foothill Freeway is approximately 85.31-miles.  The Interstate 210/California State Route 210 corridor begins at Interstate 5 at the northern outskirts of Los Angeles and travels east to Interstate 10 in Redlands of San Bernardino County.  Interstate 210 is presently signed on the 44.9-mile segment of the Foothill Freeway between Interstate 5 and California State Route 57.  California State Route 210 makes up the remaining 40.41 miles of the Foothill Freeway east to Interstate 10.  Interstate 210 is still classified by the Federal Highway Administration as existing on what is now signed as California State Route 57 from San Dimas south to Interstate 10.  The focus of this blog will mostly be on the history of Interstate 210 segment of the Foothill Freeway.   Part 1; the history of Interstate 210 and California State Route 210 Interstate 210 (I-210) was approved as a chargeable Interstate during September of