Marion Memorial Bridge

Marion Memorial Bridge
Carries	U.S. Route 41 and U.S. Route 72
Crosses	Tennessee River and Nickajack Lake
Design	Truss bridge
Total length	1,870 feet
Longest span	369 feet
Opened	1929

The Marion Memorial Bridge is a 4-span metal truss bridge on U.S. Route 41 in Marion County, Tennessee. It was built in 1929. The main span is 369 feet, and the bridge has a total length of 1870 feet. The bridge is historic, and the Marion Memorial Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 25, 2007. The bridge features an unusual truss configuration that is a hybrid of the Pratt and K-Truss configurations. This bridge crosses the Tennessee River and Nickajack Lake. The bridge is currently slated for replacement on August 31, 2013, although some people would like to see the bridge preserved in some way.^[1] Tennessee Department of Transportation officials say the bridge is costly to maintain, citing as an example the repainting cost of $1 million.^[2]

This bridge was built before Nickajack Dam, a few miles downriver. The higher mean pool of the new reservoir was reason for the bridge to be raised from its original height.

A bridge of similar design in Meigs County, Tennessee, that carried Tennessee Highway 58 across the Hiwassee River was imploded in November, 2007.^[3]

References

1. ^ Chattanooga Times Free Press, Marion Memorial Bridge span to be demolished, July 9, 2011
2. ^ Chattanooga Times Free Press, History falls in Hiwassee River, November 6, 2007
3. ^ Chattanooga Times Free Press, Bridge on National Register, November 4, 2007

External links

• Historic Bridges of Michigan and Elsewhere: Marion Memorial Bridge - Photos and information for the Marion Memorial Bridge.

Coordinates: 35°01′41″N 85°32′37″W / 35.0280°N 85.5435°W / 35.0280; -85.5435