The Old Vicksburg Bridge, also known as Mississippi River Bridge, is a

cantilever bridge A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end (called cantilevers). For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beam (structure), beams; however, large cantilever ...

carrying one rail line across the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

between

Delta, Louisiana Delta is a village in Madison Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 239 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Tallulah Micropolitan Statistical Area. As the birthplace of African-American entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker, the fir ...

and

Vicksburg, Mississippi Vicksburg is a historic city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the county seat, and the population at the 2010 census was 23,856. Located on a high bluff on the east bank of the Mississippi River across from Louisiana, Vic ...

History

Until 1998, the bridge was open to motor vehicles and carried U.S. Route 80 (US 80) across the Mississippi River. It is now only a railroad bridge, though one road lane runs through the bridge for inspection by workers. It was replaced by the new

Vicksburg Bridge The Vicksburg Bridge is a cantilever bridge carrying Interstate 20 and U.S. Route 80 across the Mississippi River between Delta, Louisiana and Vicksburg, Mississippi. Next to it is the Old Vicksburg Bridge. The Vicksburg Bridge is the norther ...

, a short distance down river, for vehicle crossings. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1989. It was built by the Vicksburg Bridge & Terminal Co. during 1928-1930 and has three cantilevered truss spans and three

Parker truss A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or s ...

spans. (which notes as its source the Jackson "Clarion Ledger" of May 21, 1980) With . During the period when the bridge was open to regular traffic a rather unusual system was used to handle the tractor-trailer truck traffic which used the bridge. Located at each end of the bridge, there were a pair of railroad styled signal towers, which required trucks to stop. At one time trucks were allowed to traverse the bridge along with other vehicle and train traffic. In order to do this the truck driver would pull the passenger side mirror in and then position his front passenger side tire against a rail located just off the roadway surface. Using this method trucks could meet and pass each other while traveling east or west. The most unnerving was going east and meeting a train moving westward on the trucks passenger side and another truck west bound on the drivers side. The signal towers prevented this from occurring anymore. Once stopped, the towers would close off traffic for all vehicles in both directions, and then allow trucks to cross the bridge alone, using the full width of both of the narrow lanes, as opposed to staying in just one lane. Due to numerous safety concerns, crossings by trucks were limited to day time only operation, with trucks being required to wait until dawn before being allowed on the bridge. t

References

Bridges over the Mississippi River Road-rail bridges in the United States Bridges completed in 1930 Railroad bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana Railroad bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Mississippi Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Louisiana Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Mississippi Kansas City Southern Railway bridges Illinois Central Railroad Buildings and structures in Vicksburg, Mississippi 1930 establishments in Louisiana National Register of Historic Places in Madison Parish, Louisiana U.S. Route 80 Cantilever bridges in the United States Parker truss bridges in the United States 1930 establishments in Mississippi Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Warren County, Mississippi {{Mississippi-NRHP-stub

History

See also

References