Skip to main content

Walking (across the Mississippi River) in Memphis

Image
By
Of the four bridges in Memphis that cross the Mighty Mississippi River, only one you can legally walk or bike across - the Harahan Bridge.  Located southwest of Downtown, the Harahan Bridge is an active rail bridge, and thanks to a refurbished cantilevered roadway, it shares space with runners, bikers, and sightseers.

View of the Memphis Skyline and DeSoto Bridge from one of Harahan Bridge's observation points.

Known as the Big River Crossing, bicyclists, pedestrians, and tourists can get an up close and personal view of the over 100-year-old bridge - and some impressive views of the Memphis skyline.

Harahan Bridge History:

The Harahan Bridge was the second railroad bridge to cross the Mississippi in Memphis and the first to allow automobiles to cross.  It opened in 1916 after three years of construction.  The impetus for constructing the bridge was to relieve rail traffic on the single-track Great Bridge, now known as the Frisco Bridge.

The Harahan Bridge - The railroad is on top - the covered part of the bridge is the Big Crossing Pedestrian/Bike Trail that was the former site of the westbound wagonway.

The Frisco Bridge began service in 1892, and by 1912, the increase in rail traffic had led to significant bottlenecks on both sides of the bridge.  Local leaders, businesses, and rail companies pushed hard for a second bridge to improve the flow of goods and materials.  The leadership group commissioned Ralph Modjeski to design the bridge.  He engineered a cantilevered through truss bridge that carried two sets of railroad tracks. (1)

Another look at the former westbound wagonway which is now utilized by hundreds of bicyclists and pedestrians every day.

The start of the automobile age would add another feature to the bridge.  On each side of the bridge, a 14-foot 'wagonway,' hung from the main superstructure, would carry vehicles across the bridge.  On the Arkansas side of the bridge, a viaduct would connect cars and trucks from the bridge to land.

The $6 million project dealt with heavy river traffic, high waters, and the tragic death of 23 men. (2)  The bridge opened to rail traffic in July 1916, and the vehicular wagonways opened to traffic in 1917.  For over a decade, the Harahan's 14-foot wood-planked cantilevered wagonways were the only vehicular crossing south of the Ohio River along the Mississippi. (1)

Harahan Bridge plaque on the Memphis side of the crossing.

The Harahan Bridge was to be called the Rock Island Bridge; however, it was quickly renamed after the death of James Harahan, who died tragically in a rail accident before the bridge's construction.  Harahan was president of the Illinois Central Railroad.  The accident occurred while Harahan was traveling to Memphis to discuss the new bridge.

Three of Memphis' Mississippi River Bridges (l to r Harahan, Frisco, Memphis & Arkansas) are yards apart.

The rickety planks of the Harahan Bridge carried automobiles and trucks across the Mississippi until the opening of the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge in 1949.  That bridge crosses the Mississippi a few hundred yards downstream from the Harahan and currently carries Interstate 55.

The Big River Crossing:

Not long after the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge opened, the wooden planks of the Harahan wagonways were removed; however, the cantilever structure that supported the two roadways remained.  They sat empty for nearly 70 years when a long-proposed idea to convert them to a bike and pedestrian trail came to fruition.

The Big River Crossing Project started as a 1975 proposal to utilize the Harahan Bridge for a bike/pedestrian trail. (3)  In 2012, the project received a significant boost when a $15 million federal transportation TIGER (Transportation Investments Generating Economic Recovery) grant for construction. (4)

Construction began in 2014, and the crossing opened to the public on October 22, 2016.  It is the longest public bike and pedestrian crossing of the Mississippi River.  Visitors can access the bridge on either side of the river (Memphis and West Memphis, AR).  The crossing connects Memphis to the Big River Trail System on the Arkansas Side of the river.

E-bike stand on the West Memphis, Arkansas side of the bridge.

There is no cost to access the bridge.  An electric bicycle station sits on the Arkansas side of the bridge.  E-bikes are a fun, fast, and inexpensive way to enjoy the bridge.  The Memphis side of the bridge connects to Tom Lee Park as a gateway into town.

At the Arkansas/Tennessee State Line over the Mississippi River on the Big River Crossing.

On the Arkansas side - the flood plains give you excellent access to view the Harahan and the Frisco and Memphis & Arkansas bridges up close.  You can also run, bike, or walk upstream for a great view of the DeSoto Bridge and the Memphis skyline.

All photos taken by post author - July 2023.

Sources & Links:

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Loop Road of Yellowstone National Park

By
  Grand Loop Road is a 140 mile loop highway which traverses the interior of Yellowstone National Park.  Grand Loop Road connects all of the major attractions and geological features of Yellowstone National Park along with the entrance roads.  Grand Loop Road is a seasonal highway and despite some conjecture never has been part of the US Route System.   Part 1; the history of Grand Loop Road The majority of history pertaining to Grand Loop Road was taken from the below National Park Service article: Historic Roads - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) Yellowstone was declared the first National Park of the United States on March 1st, 1872.  The first real highway to access Yellowstone National Park came in 1873 when a tolled facility was constructed from Bozeman, Montana via Yankee Jim Canyon to Mammoth Hot Springs.  Numerous attempts were made to fund construction of roadway infrastructure during the early years of Yellows...
Post a Comment
Read more

The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

By
Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
Post a Comment
Read more

California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway

By
From 2017 through to early 2019 I drove the majority of the California State Route 70; the Feather River Highway from CA 89 southwest to CA 99. CA 70 is an approximately 178.5 mile state highway which starts at US 395 near the Nevada State Line and travels west through the Feather River Canyon to CA 99.  CA 70 is often referred to as the Feather River Highway" given it's close association with the river.  Historically CA 70 was previously signed as US 40A and CA 24.  The Legislative Routes prior to the 1964 California Highway Renumbering that made up the current route of CA 70 are as follows: -  Legislative Route Number 21 from US 395 westward to Oroville. -  LRN 87 from Oroville south to Marysville. -  LRN 232 from Marysville to the current junction with CA 99.  CA 70 was even dual signed with CA 99 into Sacramento on what was LRN 232 for a time. The change from US 40A/LRN 21/LRN 87/LRN 232 can be seen by comparing the 1963 State Highway Ma...
Post a Comment
Read more