Bridges of Knox County
Up to 1872 the Tennessee river at Knoxville was crossed by means of ferries except for a short time during and immediately after the civil war when there was in use a temporary bridge. On August 3, 1871, a vote was taken on the question of the construction of a bridge across the river at this point to be paid for by an appropriation from the county treasury. A committee was formed and the foot of Gay street was selected as the site for the north end of the bridge, and in due time it was constructed though not without increases in the amount of the appropriation, until finally the cost of the bridge was $163,653.65, the bridge being completed in 1874. This bridge was of the Howe truss pattern, 1,404 feet in length with a driveway eighteen feet wide and a sidewalk on each side five and a half feet wide. This structure erected at such cost, was blown down by a high wind May 1, 1875, being utterly destroyed and ferries were again resorted to and in use for nearly five years.
But in 1879 a contract was made with George W Saulpaw by the terms of which he was permitted to use the old piers so long as he should keep open a bridge upon them. Mr Saulpaw at once began the erection of a bridge on the old piers which he opened to the public March 2, 1880. Soon afterward SB Luttrell purchased a half interest in the bridge becoming sole proprietor in the year 1881. This bridge was used until 1898 in July of which year the present fine structure constructed just below the old frame bridge at the foot of Gay street, was opened to the public. The superstructure of this new bridge is of steel resting on five stone piers and surmounted by a concrete driveway and sidewalks. Its length is 1,512 feet width between the sidewalks 30 feet the sidewalks themselves being six feet in width and protected on the outer side by an iron railing four and a half feet high. The stone piers rise above low water to a height of fifty feet and the bridge is 104 6 10 feet above low water. The cost of this elegant structure which is considered the finest in the Southern states was $211,000 aside from incidental expenses. The approach at the south end of the bridge is sixty feet long and at the north end 127 feet so that the extreme of the bridge and its approaches is 1,699 feet.
In 1891 the Fifth avenue bridge over the Knoxville & Ohio railroad was constructed the contract for its construction being let on January, 8 to the King Iron & Bridge company. The city appropriated $5,200 toward the payment for the land condemned, the entire cost of the bridge being $14,835 outside of the masonry. The span of the bridge is 480 feet the first span being 117 1 4 feet the second 103 the third 80 fee.t The first trestle is 110 feet and the trestle on the Branner street end 70 feet. The bridge is of the Pratt truss pattern, the roadway is twenty feet wide and the foot walk eight feet wide.
The following bridges over First creek were built in 1892, the contracts for them being let on April 29, that year: Oak Street, Church Street, and Hill Street. The Oak Street bridge was let to the Groton Bridge company for $21,000, the Church street bridge to the King Iron & Bridge company for $13,450, and the Hill street bridge to the same company for $19,150.
Bridges
| Alcoa Hwy Bridge | Over Tennessee River @ UT | ||
| Ashville Highway | Over Holston River | 1931 Demolished | |
| Beaver Creek | 1910 |
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| Boyds | Boyds Bridge Pike | ||
| Broadway Viaduct | NS Railroad |
1927 | |
| Clinch Ave Viaduct | NS Railroad @ Second Creek | 1927 | |
| Coward Mill | Coward Mill Rd over Beaver Creek | ca 1910 | |
Ball Camp-Byington |
CSX Bridge | ca 1910 | |
| Edington Rd | CSX Bridge | 1915 | |
| Maloney Rd | rr bridge, Maloney RD @ Flenniken Creek | ||
| Scottish Pike | 1915 | ||
| CSX TN River | near UT | 1966 | |
| Copper Ridge tunnel | CSX on Hwy 62 | ||
| 5th Ave | over First Creek | 1922 | |
| Flat Creek | 1927 | ||
| Forks of the River | Holston River, NS Southern | ||
| Gay Street | Tennessee River | 1897 | |
| Early Gay St | Tennessee River | ||
| Gay St Viaduct | NS Railroad | 1876 | |
| Hall Rd | Stock Creek | 1918 | |
| Henley | Over Tennessee River | 1931 | |
| Hill Ave | @ First Creek | ||
| Kimberlin Heights | @ Hines Creek | 1930 | |
| First Creek | Knoxville & Holston RR | ||
| Gilbert Lane | RR Bridge | 1930 | |
| Little River | 1938 D | ||
| Mc Bee | Holston R @ Strawberry Plains | 1931 | |
| Mineral Springs | @ First Creek | 1910 | |
| Neyland | |||
| Coram St | NS bridge | 1935 | |
| Heiskell | @ NS | 1940 | |
| Love's Creek | @NS on Loves Creek | 1915 | |
| Mascot Rd | @NS railroad | 1910 | |
| Broadway Overpass | @ NS railroad | ||
| TN River Bridge | SR on Neyland Dr, near UT | 1903, CW Piers | |
| Flat Creek | NS | ||
| Holston River | NS @ Strawberry Plains | ||
| Oglewood Ave | @ First Creek | 1920 | |
| Erma Lane | @NS | ||
| Pickens Gap< | @ Stock Creek | 1915 | |
| Roseberry Creek | |||
| Saupaw | Early brige at Gay St | 1880 | |
| Strong Creek | 1915 | ||
| Tipton Station | @ Stock Creek | 1915 | |
| Sutherland Ave |
Knox County Road Commission will make an appropriation for Sutherland Ave bridge over Third Creek 1914 |
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| Sutherland Ave | |||
| Tuckahoe Creek | 1920 | ||
| Third Creek | >US 11 | 1936 | |
| Wisegarber | @ Fouth Creek | 1915 | |
| W 5th Ave | NS Railroad @ Second Creek | 1935 | |
| Western Ave | SR@ Second Creek on TN 62 | 1901 | |
| Williams Creek | 1925 | ||
Bridge Photos
