Greenville Bridge

Last updated
Greenville Bridge
Mississippi River bridge at Greenville MS - Lake Village AR.jpg
The nearly completed bridge, viewed from the Arkansas side (October 2009)
Coordinates 33°17′14″N91°09′15″W / 33.28722°N 91.15417°W / 33.28722; -91.15417
Carries4 lanes of US 82.svgUS 278.svg US 82  / US 278
Crosses Mississippi River
Locale Refuge, Mississippi, and Shives, Arkansas
Characteristics
Design Cable-stayed bridge
Total length13,560 feet (4,133 m)
Width88 feet (27 m)
Longest span1,378 feet (420 m)
Clearance below 122 feet (37 m)
History
OpenedAugust 4, 2010 (2010-08-04)
Location
Greenville Bridge

The Greenville Bridge, or the Jesse Brent Memorial Bridge, is a cable-stayed bridge over the Mississippi River, in the United States, carrying US 82 and US 278 between Refuge, Mississippi, and Shives, Arkansas. When it opened in 2010, it was the fourth-longest cable-stayed bridge in North America.

Contents

The Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge, the first bridge to connect the two towns, had become functionally obsolete. Its narrow road had only two lanes with no shoulders. Because of its location near a sharp bend in the Mississippi River, the bridge had become a hazard to river traffic; barges and towboats frequently collided with it. In 1994, a study concluded that a new bridge was needed and the old one should be torn down. Construction was begun in 2001 and the new bridge opened in 2010. In 2011, the process of removing the old bridge began.

Description

Opened in 2010, the Greenville Bridge carries US 82/278 over the Mississippi River between Refuge, Mississippi and Shives, Arkansas. It is located 0.5 miles (0.80 km) down river from the original bridge, built in 1940. Designed by HNTB, it is a four-lane cable-stayed bridge with more than 2.5 miles (4.0 km) of bridge deck straddled by two concrete towers 425 feet (130 m) feet high and anchored by concrete piers planted 120 feet (37 m) below the riverbed. It has four fans of strand steel cable connected to the top of the towers which support the deck. [1]

Each of the bridge's four lanes is 12 feet (4 m) wide. The outside shoulders are 12 feet (4 m) wide and the inside shoulder width is 8 feet (2 m). The bridge has a main span of 1,378 feet (420 m). At the time of its opening, it was the fourth-longest cable-stayed bridge in North America. [1]

Both the old and new bridges are geographically mostly in Arkansas, as the state lines were determined prior to the shift west of the Mississippi River. [2]

History

The first Greenville Bridge, Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge, was built by the company now known as HNTB and opened to much fanfare in 1940 as the "pathway to progress" for the Mississippi Delta. [3] It was a through-truss design and had a span of 840 feet (260 m). Until 1943, this was the longest bridge for vehicles on the Mississippi River. [4] Over time, the bridge supported increasing volumes of highway traffic and vehicles hitting the bridge. In the 1950s, an Air Force plane crashed into the bridge. Though the bridge remained structurally sound, it was becoming functionally obsolete. [1] It had only two narrow highway lanes and no shoulders. An accident or the crossing of very large vehicles such as a large combine could force the bridge to close. [3]

3-D artistic prototype of the new bridge with the old bridge and the sharp bend in the Mississippi River in the background Greenvillebridges.jpg
3-D artistic prototype of the new bridge with the old bridge and the sharp bend in the Mississippi River in the background

With river traffic increasing, damage from barge collisions increased. By 1972, the Greenville Bridge was hit more times by barges than any other bridge on the Mississippi. The bridge was located close to a sharp bend in the Mississippi; towboats and barges had difficulty making the sharp turn and regaining their course in time to avoid a collision with the bridge. Over the years, many have not been able to make the turn quickly and have hit it. The bridge had become a danger to river traffic. [3]

A 1994 engineering study by the Mississippi Department of Transportation explored alternatives to upgrading the crossing of US 82 and issued a report that explored a four-lane crossing at Greenville. It concluded the best of several alternatives it identified was to build a new bridge 0.5 miles (0.80 km) downriver from the old one and to remove the old bridge. Additional studies evaluated the type of bridge to build, and by 1995 the cable-stayed bridge was chosen as the best design to fit the river and soil conditions, as well as providing sufficient clearance for river navigation. Engineering plans were completed in 1999. [1] US 278 is planned to be relocated to the proposed Charles W. Dean Bridge if that bridge is constructed.

Construction

HNTB, of Kansas City, Missouri, was the designer and consulting engineer for both the new bridge as well as the original Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge. [4] The federal government provided $110 million to begin building the main part of the bridge consisting long spans supported by cables. The main superstructure construction began in December 2001. [5] Massman Construction Company in a joint venture with Traylor Brothers, Inc. received the contract to construct two large piers in the river; these were built using both floating caissons and open caisson construction. [6] The construction on the last main span section of the bridge was finished in April 2006. [7]

Wire cable fans on cable-stayed Greenville Bridge Greenville Bridge-1.jpg
Wire cable fans on cable-stayed Greenville Bridge

Building the approaches, including shorter spans of approach bridge work and structural support systems for the bridge, was the responsibility of each state. For both states, the approach bridges are constructed of a series of three span units, each unit 120 feet (37 m) long. [5] Construction of Arkansas' 2.5 miles (4 km) approach of highway and bridge, costing $66 million, began in March 2006; Mississippi began its 1.8 miles (2.9 km) approach in April 2006, costing almost $86 million. [3] Hill Brothers Construction and Jensen Construction, in a joint venture with the Rasmussen Group, were awarded the contract for the eastern approach of US 82 in Greenville to the Mississippi River crossing. [8] Hills Brothers Construction was awarded an $85.9 million contract to work on the road deck of the Mississippi approach to the bridge, the concrete footings, and the substructure and superstructure of that portion. [9] Austin Bridge and Road was awarded a $65 million contract to build Arkansas's 4,657 feet (1,419 m) of approach bridge and 3,225 feet (983 m) of connecting roadway which was completed in August 2009. [10] The remaining contract, to apply a latex surface to the bridge, add stripes, tie US 82 into the approaches and dismantle the Humphreys Bridge, was awarded in January 2010. [10]

View of the Greenville Bridge from the Mississippi River. River cruise 2009 27b2.jpg
View of the Greenville Bridge from the Mississippi River.

It took sixteen years from the initial developing stage begun in 1994, until the Greenville Bridge opened to traffic on August 4, 2010. [3] The entire cost of the bridge totaled $336 million. [3] In 2011, the massive process of removing the old bridge by cutting it into small sections to be recycled was begun and was expected to be completed by September 2012. [2] [10] At times, the river has been closed to traffic to aid the demolition. [11] The job was dangerous and at least two workers died during the demolition. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dames Point Bridge</span> Bridge in Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America

The Dames Point Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge over the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, United States on the Interstate 295 East Beltway. Construction began in 1985 and was completed in 1989. The main span is 1,300 feet (396.2 m), and is 175 feet (53.3 m) high. The bridge was designed by HNTB Corporation and RS&H, Inc. The Massman Construction Company built the bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 82</span> Highway in the United States

U.S. Route 82 is an east–west United States highway in the Southern United States. Created on July 1, 1931 across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas, US 82 eventually became a 1,625-mile-long (2,615 km) route extending from the White Sands of New Mexico to Georgia's Atlantic coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge</span> Suspension bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri, USA

The Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge is a bridge across the Mississippi River in the United States between St. Clair County, Illinois, and the city of St. Louis, Missouri. Built between April 19, 2010, and July 2013, the bridge opened on February 9, 2014. The cable-stayed bridge has a main span of 1,500 feet (460 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fremont Bridge (Portland, Oregon)</span> Bridge in Portland, Oregon

The Fremont Bridge is a steel tied-arch bridge over the Willamette River located in Portland, Oregon, United States. It carries Interstate 405 and US 30 traffic between downtown and North Portland where it intersects with Interstate 5. It has the longest main span of any bridge in Oregon and is the second longest tied-arch bridge in the world. The bridge was designed by Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade and Douglas, and built by Murphy Pacific Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huey P. Long Bridge (Jefferson Parish)</span> Road and railroad bridge in Louisiana, U.S.

The Huey P. Long Bridge, located in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, is a cantilevered steel through-truss bridge that carries a two-track railroad line over the Mississippi River at mile 106.1, with three lanes of US 90 on each side of the central tracks. It is several kilometers upriver from the city of New Orleans. The East Bank entrance is at Elmwood, Louisiana, and the West Bank at Bridge City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Industrial Canal</span> Canal in Louisiana, United States of America

The Industrial Canal is a 5.5 mile (9 km) waterway in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. The waterway's proper name, as used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and on NOAA nautical charts, is Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC). The more common "Industrial Canal" name is used locally, both by commercial mariners and by landside residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wakota Bridge</span> Bridge in Minnesota-Newport, Minnesota

The Wakota Bridge is a ten-lane bridge carrying Interstate 494 over the Mississippi River between South St. Paul and Newport, Minnesota, United States. It was completed in 2010, replacing a four-lane span built in 1959. The name was given to the previous span in the early 1960s, and is derived from the two counties it connects, Washington and Dakota. Lunda Construction Company won the bid to build a new five-lane west-bound span, remove the existing bridge, and build a new five-lane east-bound span, which was completed in 2010. It is the widest bridge in Minnesota in number of lanes, along with the I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge in Minneapolis.

The Great River Bridge is an asymmetrical, single tower cable-stayed bridge over the Mississippi River. It carries U.S. Route 34 from Burlington, Iowa to the town of Gulf Port, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Madison Toll Bridge</span> Bridge in and Niota, Illinois

The Fort Madison Toll Bridge is a tolled, double-decked swinging truss bridge over the Mississippi River that connects Fort Madison, Iowa, and unincorporated Niota, Illinois. A double-track railway occupies the lower deck of the bridge, while two lanes of road traffic are carried on the upper deck. The bridge is about 1 mile (1.6 km) long with a swing span of 525 feet (160 m), and was the longest and largest double-deck swing-span bridge in the world when constructed in 1927. It replaced an inadequate combination roadway/single-track bridge completed in 1887. The main river crossing consists of four 270-foot (82 m) Baltimore through truss spans and a swing span made of two equal arms, 266 feet (81 m) long. In 1999, it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places under the title, Fort Madison Bridge, ID number 99001035. It was also documented as survey number IA-62 by the Historic American Engineering Record, archived at the Library of Congress. Construction and photographic details were recorded at the time in Scientific American magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natchez–Vidalia Bridge</span> Bridge in Louisiana and Natchez, Mississippi

The Natchez–Vidalia Bridge are two twin cantilever bridges carrying U.S. Route 84, and 425 across the Mississippi River between Vidalia, Louisiana and Natchez, Mississippi. It is the tallest bridge in Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge</span> Former highway bridge over the Mississippi River

The Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge was a two-lane cantilevered truss bridge carrying U.S. Route 82/U.S. Route 278 across the Mississippi River between Lake Village, Arkansas and Greenville, Mississippi. It was the first bridge to connect the two towns. The bridge was named for Benjamin G. Humphreys II, a former United States Congressman from Greenville.

The Charles W. Dean Bridge, known before 1999 as the Great River Bridge, is a planned cable-stayed bridge to carry Interstate 69 and U.S. Route 278 across the Mississippi River between Arkansas City, Arkansas and Benoit, Mississippi. The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department began land acquisition for the project in October 2006, but no funding has been provided for construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helena Bridge</span> Bridge in Arkansas and Lula, Mississippi

The Helena Bridge is a cantilever bridge carrying U.S. Route 49 across the Mississippi River between Helena, Arkansas and Lula, Mississippi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memphis & Arkansas Bridge</span> Highway bridge in Memphis, Tennessee, United States

The Memphis & Arkansas Bridge, also known as the Memphis–Arkansas Bridge or inaccurately as the Memphis–Arkansas Memorial Bridge, is a cantilevered through truss bridge carrying Interstate 55 across the Mississippi River between West Memphis, Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee. Memphians refer to this bridge as the "Old Bridge" to distinguish it from the "New Bridge", or Hernando de Soto Bridge, upstream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harahan Bridge</span> Bridge between Arkansas and Tennessee, US

The Harahan Bridge is a cantilevered through truss bridge that carries two rail lines and a pedestrian bridge across the Mississippi River between West Memphis, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee. The bridge is owned and operated by Union Pacific Railroad and is the second longest pedestrian/bicycle bridge in the United States. It was built with roadways cantilevered off the sides of the main structure for vehicles. These roadways are owned by the cities of Memphis, Tennessee, and Crittenden County, Arkansas, and were used from 1917–1949, until the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge opened 400 feet (120 m) south of the Harahan. The bridge was named in honor of railroad executive James Theodore Harahan, former president of the Illinois Central Railroad, who was killed in a railroad accident during the construction of the bridge. In February 2011, Union Pacific Railroad officials agreed to the idea of converting the 1917 roadways into a bicycle-pedestrian walkway across the river. In June 2012, Memphis was awarded a $14.9 million federal grant to build the walkway. The overall project was expected to cost $30 million, of which about $11 million was used for the Harahan Bridge portion. Construction was completed in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 69 in Arkansas</span> Highway in Arkansas

Interstate 69 (I-69) is a proposed Interstate Highway that will pass through the southeastern part of the US state of Arkansas. Signs indicating the corridor of the Interstate have been placed at various highways throughout the state. The only section of Future I-69 that is currently open to traffic is the 8.5-mile (13.7 km) eastern leg of the Monticello Bypass. This section of the Monticello Bypass is currently two lanes and signed as US Highway 278 Bypass. As of March 2023, a second section between the eastern end of the Monticello Bypass and Arkansas Highway 293 (AR 293) is under construction and will be temporarily designated as Arkansas Highway 569 (AR 569) upon opening, until the remainder of I-69 through Arkansas is completed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher S. Bond Bridge (Kansas City, Missouri)</span> Cable-stayed bridge across the Missouri River in Missouri

The Christopher S. Bond Bridge in Kansas City, Missouri is a cable-stayed bridge across the Missouri River. It carries I-29/I-35/US 71. The bridge opened to limited traffic on September 27, 2010, and all lanes opened on December 18, 2010. The Bond bridge is a replacement for the Paseo Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tappan Zee Bridge (2017–present)</span> Bridge across the Hudson River, New York, U.S.

The Tappan Zee Bridge, officially named the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge after the former New York governor, is a twin cable-stayed bridge spanning the Tappan Zee section of the Hudson River between Tarrytown and Nyack in the U.S. state of New York. It was built to replace the original Tappan Zee Bridge opened in 1955, which was located just to the south. The bridge's north span carries the northbound and westbound automobile traffic of the New York State Thruway, Interstate 87 (I-87) and I-287; it also carries a shared use path for bicycles and pedestrians. The south span carries southbound and eastbound automobile traffic.

The Broadway Bridge is an arch bridge that spans the Arkansas River connecting the cities of Little Rock, Arkansas and North Little Rock, Arkansas. It carries U.S. Route 70 (US 70) and Arkansas Highway 365. The current bridge opened to traffic in March 2017. The original bridge was demolished in 2016. It was also an arch bridge and it opened in 1923.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 82 in Mississippi</span> Segment of American highway

U.S. Route 82 is a section of a west-east highway that travels through Mississippi. It starts at the Arkansas state line at Refuge and ends at the Alabama state line east of Columbus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Project Summary: The New Bridge". US 82 Greenville Bridge. Archived from the original on May 18, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Grayson, Walt (June 7, 2011). "Old Greenville Bridge Coming Down". 3 on your side. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lampkin, Sheilla (February 17, 2011). "End of an Era: Greenville Bridge Dismantled". Monticello Live. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Project Summary: The 1940 Bridge". US 82 Greenville Bridge. Archived from the original on November 7, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Approach Projects". US 82 Greensville Bridge. Archived from the original on January 9, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Greenville Bridge Construction Plan Hydrodynamic and Scour Potential Analysis" (PDF). West Consulting, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 14, 2006. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Greenville Bridge Span Completed". NBC. WLBT. 2006-04-13. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
  8. ↑ "East Approach To Mississippi River Bridge — Greenville, MS". Rassmussen Group. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Highway 82 Greenville Bridge and Approaches". Hill Brothers Construction. Archived from the original on December 18, 2010. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 "Project Updates for District 3 (Delta Region)". GoMDOT.com. March 30, 2010. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Regulated Navigation Area; Greenville Bridge Demolition, Lower Mississippi River Mile 531.3, AR, MS". November 2, 2010. Federal Register. 2 November 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  12. ↑ Associated Press (March 11, 2011). "Two workers die in Greenville Bridge accident". Mississippi Business Journal. Retrieved January 6, 2012.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.