| Westbound Span |
| • Structure ID: |
NBI: 21000840010001A. |
| • Location: |
River Mile 363.30. |
| • Length: |
4,205 Feet Overall, 3 Spans Of 848 Feet Each. |
| • Width: |
24 Feet, 2 Lanes. |
| • Date Built: |
Opened September 26, 1940. |
| |
|
| Eastbound Span |
| • Structure ID: |
NBI: 21000840010001B. |
| • Location: |
River Mile 363.29. |
| • Length: |
4,202 Feet Overall, 3 Spans Of 848 Feet Each. |
| • Width: |
42 Feet, 2 Lanes Plus Shoulder. |
| • Date Built: |
Opened July 1988. |
| |
|
| Statistics Common To Both Bridges |
| • River Elevation: |
30 Feet. |
| • Highway: |
US-65 / US-84. |
| • Daily Traffic Count: |
29,680 (2004). |
| • Bridge Type: |
Continuous Steel Truss Through Deck. |
| • Navigation Channel Width: |
848 Feet. |
| • Height Above Water: |
125 Feet. |
This is actually two bridges, one bridge is of
1940 vintage (upstream), the other bridge is of 1988 vintage. While they look
the same, the older upstream bridge is narrower. Beyond that, they have
the same footprint.
In visiting this area, I was curious why two such small towns as
Natchez, Mississippi, and Vidalia, Louisiana, could justify not just one
but two huge bridges across the Mississippi River. The City of Vidalia
web site clears up the issue noting that over 2-million people live
within 200-miles of the twin spans, and the bridges carry nearly 30,000
vehicles per day on average.