Clement C. Clay Bridge
Encyclopedia
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
just south of Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
in northern part of the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
State of Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Both bridges are cantilever truss types. The original bridge span was built in 1931 replacing Whites Ferry which crossed the river at nearby Ditto's Landing. The second span was constructed in 1965. Upon completion, the newer span carried southbound traffic while the original span carried northbound traffic. The Clay bridge was named after former Alabama Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
and Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Clement Comer Clay
Clement Comer Clay
Clement Comer Clay was the eighth Governor of the U.S. state of Alabama from 1835 to 1837.Clay was born in Halifax County, Virginia. His father, William Clay, was an officer in the American Revolutionary War, who moved to Grainger County, Tennessee, after the war. Clay attended public schools and...
.
The 1931 span was replaced by a reinforced concrete structure, which opened in June 2006. Demolition of the original span began on August 16, 2006. Construction was expected to begin in 2007 on a second reinforced concrete structure to replace the 1965 span.
The bridge carries US 231
U.S. Route 231
U.S. Route 231 is a parallel route of U.S. Route 31. It currently runs for 912 miles from St. John, Indiana, at U.S. Route 41 to south of U.S. Route 98 in Downtown Panama City, Florida.One of its most notable landmarks is the William H...
and hidden route AL 53
State Route 53 (Alabama)
State Route 53 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Alabama. The majority, between Dothan and Huntsville, is signed as U.S. Highway 231 , but the two ends - south to Florida and north to I-65/US-31 near Tennessee - are independent...
between Huntsville (Huntsville Metropolitan Area) and Morgan County
Morgan County, Alabama
Morgan County is the most populous county in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, and the second most populous county in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area in the U.S. State of Alabama. It was created by the Alabama Territorial legislature on February 6, 1818 from land acquired from the...
(Decatur Metropolitan Area
Decatur Metropolitan Area
The Decatur Metropolitan Area is a moderately urban region of North-Central Alabama. The 2008 estimate population is 150,125, one third of which resides within the boundaries of its core city, Decatur, Alabama....
). Before the 1952 extension of US 231, the bridge carried AL 38. North of the bridge, US 231 is known as Memorial Parkway
Memorial Parkway (Huntsville)
Memorial Parkway is a major thoroughfare in Huntsville, Alabama. It, in whole or in part, follows U.S. Route 231, U.S. Route 431, U.S. Route 72, and State Route 53 through the Huntsville city limits...
.