Talmadge Memorial Bridge
| Talmadge Memorial Bridge | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Coordinates | 32°5′20.67″N 81°5′55.68″W / 32.0890750°N 81.0988000°W |
| Carries |
  US 17 / SR 404 Spur
|
| Crosses | Savannah River |
| Locale | Savannah, Georgia |
| Official name | Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge |
| Maintained by | Georgia Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | cable-stayed bridge |
| Total length | 1.9 miles (3.06 km) |
| Longest span | 1,100 feet (335 m) |
| Clearance below | 185 feet |
| History | |
| Opened | November 1991 |
The Talmadge Memorial Bridge is a bridge in the United States that spans the Savannah River between downtown Savannah, Georgia, and Hutchinson Island. It carries US 17/SR 404 Spur.
Completed in March 1991, the new Talmadge Memorial cable-stayed bridge replaced the old Talmadge cantilever truss bridge (built in 1953), which had become a danger for large ships entering the Port of Savannah, home to the largest single ocean container terminal on the U.S. eastern seaboard, and the nation's fourth-busiest seaport.
The structure is dedicated to Eugene Talmadge, who served as the Democratic Governor of Georgia in 1933-37 and 1941-43.
The new bridge was originally named for the Native American Creek leader Tomochichi, an important figure in Savannah's founding in 1733. After public forums on the issue, the original name was restored for the new structure. Many of the piers (vertical supports) of the original Talmadge bridge still stand and can be seen in the photo on the left.
The new bridge provides 185 feet (56 m) of vertical navigational clearance for oceangoing vessels. Its horizontal clearance is 1,023 feet (312 m), with both main piers located on the north and south banks of the Savannah River. With a main span of 1,100 feet (340 m) and a total length of 1.9 miles (3.1 km), the new Talmadge Memorial carries four lanes of traffic. The north end of the bridge ends on Hutchinson Island, an island situated between the Savannah River and the Back River. A separate, older, two-lane bridge spans Back River, connecting Hutchinson Island with Jasper County, South Carolina.
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