Gribblenation

Welcome to the gateway page for Gribblenation’s series on the bridges of the lower Mississippi River in Memphis, TN! Here you will find links to information about the four bridges that span the river at Memphis. The bridges of Memphis were constructed during the period between the height of the railroad era in the 1890s and the height of the modern interstate highway era of the 1970s. Each has a unique story to tell and all play a vital part in the transportation system of the northern Mississippi Delta. From left to right, the Harahan Bridge (1916), Frisco Bridge (1892), and Memphis & Arkansas Bridge (1949) combine to create one of the most impressive bridge-related visuals on the Mississippi River. Frisco Bridge The Frisco Railroad Bridge was built in 1892 and was the first bridge built across the lower Mississippi River. It is therefore the oldest standing bridge on the lower river. Frisco Bridge (1892) Harahan Bridge/"Big River Crossing" The Harahan Bridge was built i...

  The Robyville Covered Bridge is located to the northwest of Bangor, Maine, near Kenduskeag Village and Corinth in the settlement of Robyville. Spanning 97 feet across Kenduskeag Stream, this Howe truss designed covered bridge was built during the 1870s and happens to be the only completely shingled covered bridge in Maine, and may be one of the few covered bridges in the country with shingles all around. The shingles are not only at each portal, but also on the siding as well. The covered bridge was built by Royal A. Sweet at the cost of $1,375.06. Royal Sweet was a skilled carpenter and tradesman in the area, having manufactured barns and sleds along with the Robyville Covered Bridge. There is some contesting as to when the covered bridge was built, as the sign on the bridge states the bridge was built in 1876, but town records seem to indicate that the Robyville Bridge was built a few years earlier, in 1870 or 1871. The abutments and piers of this covered bridge ...

The newest of the bridges that span the lower Mississippi River at Memphis, the Hernando de Soto Bridge was completed in 1973 and carries Interstate 40 between downtown Memphis and West Memphis, AR. The bridge’s signature M-shaped superstructure makes it an instantly recognizable landmark in the city and one of the most visually unique bridges on the Mississippi River. As early as 1953, Memphis city planners recommended the construction of a second highway bridge across the Mississippi River to connect the city with West Memphis, AR. The Memphis & Arkansas Bridge had been completed only four years earlier a couple miles downriver from downtown, however it was expected that long-term growth in the metro area would warrant the construction of an additional bridge, the fourth crossing of the Mississippi River to be built at Memphis, in the not-too-distant future. Unlike the previous three Mississippi River bridges to be built the city, the location chosen for this bridge was about two...