Historic bridges of the Atlanta area

There were several historic bridges around the metro Atlanta, Georgia area, for which many of its current-day roads are named. Many of them originated as ferries, dating back to the 1820s and 1830s, and carrying travelers across the Chattahoochee River and several other smaller rivers. Several were also covered bridges, a very few of which remain as historic sites.

Abbott's Bridge

Blair's Bridge

Brown's Bridge

Brown's Bridge was a covered bridge located between Cumming and Gainesville, over the Chattahoochee River. It was carried downstream but intact in 1946, by a major flood on February 7th. Divers have reported it still intact under 120 feet or 36.5 meters of Lake Lanier, which filled the river a few years later. [http://wwwb.dot.ga.gov/specialsubjects/specialinterest/covered/graveyd/index.shtml] Browns Bridge Road (part of Georgia 369) still exists east of Georgia 9 at Coal Mountain. Just upstream of the original bridge location, a modern bridge carries the road over the lake.

A different Brown Bridge (not Browns) was located near Covington.

Cheshire Bridge

One of the most well-known in the area crossed the south fork of Peachtree Creek to connect Hezekiah Cheshire's home in what is now the Virginia-Highland neighborhood to his sons' farms on the other side of the creek. [http://www.vahi.org/pdfs/history.pdf]

Concord Covered Bridge

The Concord Covered Bridge is still located on Covered Bridge Road (past Concord Road) west of Smyrna, and is part of the county historic district named for it. It still carries cars over Nickajack Creek, but is one lane at a time. The Silver Comet Trail also runs over the creek on a former railroad trestle very nearby. The East-West Connector, completed in 1997, was designed to protect the area by not connecting to Concord Road, thereby reducing potential traffic counts on the bridge.

Grimes Bridge

Located over Vickery Creek (Big Creek) in Roswell, just north of the Chattahoochee River. Since July 2008, Grimes Bridge Road is closed until 2009 to replace the bridge. [http://www.roswellgov.com/index.php/m/articles/id/392]

Haynes Bridge

Located near Alpharetta.

Holcomb Bridge

The Holcomb Bridge was over the Chattahoochee River, on what is now the edge of the city of Johns Creek. Holcomb Bridge Road carries Georgia 140, becoming Crossville Road (Georgia 92, as 140 turns north onto Alpharetta Highway to Houze Road) near downtown Roswell in the northwest, and Jimmy Carter Boulevard upon crossing Peachtree Industrial Boulevard near downtown Norcross in the southeast. Because it is so heavily traveled and densely developed as an arterial road, it is probably the most well-known "bridge" road in the area, along with Cheshire Bridge Road. There is also Old Holcomb Bridge Road, a previous alignment of part of the road northwest of the interchange with Georgia 400, since that freeway was built in the late 1960s.

Howell Bridge

Unlike Howell Mills and Howell Ferry, located near exurban Canton.

Hudson Bridge

Located near Stockbridge.

Jones Bridge

Formerly Jones Ferry.

Keith's Bridge

Located near Gainesville, Keith's Bridge was a covered bridge over the Chestatee River. Burned in the late 1940s, it is also now submerged under Lake Lanier. Keith Bridge Road still exists today.

Kimball Bridge

Located near Alpharetta.

Medlock Bridge

Located near Duluth.

ettles Bridge

Located in Suwanee, and is now a unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

ope Creek covered bridge

Carrying Paper Mill Road over Sope Creek next to the Marietta Paper Mill, it was burned by arsonists in 1967.

tate Bridge

State Bridge was located between Duluth and Johns Creek, over the Chattahoochee River and the Fulton/Gwinnett (originally Milton/Gwinnett) county line. It still carries Georgia 141 over the river, very near State Bridge Crossing Elementary School on the Fulton side.

Webb Bridge

Located in Alpharetta.

Notes