The original Market Street Bridge construction began in 1914 and opened 1917, and it was called the “million-dollar bridge.” At the time, it was said to be the largest concrete bridge in the South and the largest double-leaf bascule highway span in the world. To mark the dedication, a Hudson Supersix was driven across it, making it the first automobile on the completed bridge.
The method of construction was unique at the time. Imagine two 200-foot-tall steel towers erected on each bank of the river with cable running between them. Concrete chutes ran along the cable to deliver the concrete. The floor system also was unique in its construction because inside of each arch is a system of smaller columns that supports the loads carried across the roadway.
Several floods of the Tennessee River caused delays. Normally, falseworks prevented driftwood from accumulating, but the floods caused driftwood to accumulate too fast; the falseworks were dislodged by the pressure of the river. Part of the bridge was washed away during construction – an enormous part – after the entire structure of framework and forms were set and ready to be poured. A newspaper story dated Dec. 20, 1915, reported that a 28-foot stage flood and a portion of the bridge – span 3 – was swept 10 miles downriver. “The 10 men hanging at the water’s edge pushing and pulling would no sooner got one mass (of trees and driftwood) into the current, than another would pile in on top of them. The timber around them was sagging and cracking like the reports of pistols.”
Market Street Bridge Trivia:
In 1950 the bridge opened accidentally for six hours. Two cars that were on the bridge at the time were trapped between the south concrete counterweight and the river. Jacks had to be used to lift the counterweight. No one was injured.
The bridge was welded shut for a time during the late 60s.
It was mysteriously raised by someone in 1977.
It was hit by a runaway barge in 1978.
The blue hue wasn’t always its color. As recently as 1997, the bridge was painted green. Now all the bridges in the downtown Chattanooga area are painted the same special color of blue, which is referred to by the TDOT Structures Division as “Chattanooga Blue.” The bridge carries North Market Street, formerly U.S. Hwy 127, and State Route 8.
“Gephyrophobia” is the fear of crossing bridges.
Dimensions:
Main span length – 310 ft.
Total length – 2,000 ft.
Deck width – (curb to curb) 36 ft.
Vertical clearance – (bascule truss to roadway) 16.4 ft.
If you are a descendent of someone who worked on the bridge – or perhaps have stories or memorabilia about the construction or opening of Chattanooga’s rare drawbridge, contact Kathie Fulgham at kathie@derryberrypr.com.