Shelby Street Bridge
| John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge | |
|---|---|
John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, seen from Riverfront Park
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| Carries | pedestrians and bicycles |
| Crosses | Cumberland River |
| Locale | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Maintained by | Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | multi-span truss bridge |
| Total length | 3,150 feet (960 m) |
| Width | 36.4 feet (11.1 m) |
| Longest span | 317.8 feet (96.9 m) |
| Clearance above | 16 feet (4.9 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | July 5, 1909 |
Coordinates: 36°9′43″N 86°46′20″W / 36.16194°N 86.77222°W The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge (previously called the Shelby Street Bridge or Shelby Avenue Bridge) is a truss bridge that spans the Cumberland River in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The bridge spans 960 m (3,150 ft) and is one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world.
The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge was originally known as the Sparkman Street Bridge and was built one block south of Broadway, connecting Sparkman Street and Shelby Avenue. The bridge was constructed at a cost of about $475,000. Another bridge called the Jefferson Street Bridge which was virtually identical to it was built at the same time. The Jefferson Street Bridge was opened a year after the Sparkman Street Bridge. The substructures of the bridges were light grey concrete, and the superstructures were made of steel that had been painted black.
The bridge was the first in North America to have concrete arched trusses.
The bridge was designed and construction was supervised by Howard M. Jones, the chief office engineer of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway. The original architectural drawings as approved by Jones are archived at the Metro Transportation Offices.
After twenty-five years of use, it became apparent that there was something wrong with the concrete on the Sparkman Street Bridge. The worn surfaces of the concrete were chipped away between 1927 and 1930 and replaced with gunite.
Thirty years later, repair work had to be done again. The Standard Engineering Company of Albany, New York was hired to repair the weathered bridge. They subcontracted the steel work to the Nashville Bridge Company. During this repair time, the Jefferson Street Bridge was also repaired.
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