Historic bridges of the Atlanta area
Encyclopedia
There were several historic bridges around the metro Atlanta
, Georgia
area, for which many of its current-day roads are named. Many of them originated as ferries
, dating back to the 1820s and 1830s, and carrying travelers across the Chattahoochee River
and several other smaller rivers. Several were also covered bridge
s, a very few of which remain as historic site
s.
and Gainesville
, over the Chattahoochee River. It was carried downstream but intact in 1946, by a major flood
on February 7. Diver
s have reported it still intact under 120 feet or 36.5 meters of Lake Lanier
, which filled the river a few years later. http://wwwb.dot.ga.gov/specialsubjects/specialinterest/covered/graveyd/index.shtml
Browns Bridge Road (part of Georgia 369) still exists east of Georgia 9 at Coal Mountain
. Just upstream of the original bridge location, a modern bridge carries the road over the lake. To see more information on the modern Browns Bridge, click Browns Bridge
A different Brown Bridge (not Browns) was located near Covington
.
to connect Hezekiah Cheshire's home in what is now the Virginia-Highland
neighborhood to his sons' farms on the other side of the creek.
, and is part of the county historic district
named for it. It still carries cars over Nickajack Creek, but is one lane at a time. The Silver Comet Trail
also runs over the creek
on a former railroad trestle
very nearby. The East-West Connector, completed in 1997, was designed to protect the area by not connecting to Concord Road, thereby reducing potential traffic count
s on the bridge.
(Big Creek
) in Roswell
, just north of the Chattahoochee River. Since July 2008, Grimes Bridge Road is closed until 2009 to replace the bridge.http://www.roswellgov.com/index.php/m/articles/id/392
in the northwest, and Jimmy Carter
Boulevard upon crossing Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
near downtown Norcross
in the southeast. Because it is so heavily traveled and densely
developed
as an arterial road
, it is probably the most well-known "bridge" road in the area, along with Cheshire Bridge Road. There is also Old Holcomb Bridge Road, a previous alignment of part of the road northwest of the interchange
with Georgia 400, since that freeway was built in the late 1960s.
.
Jones Bridge spanned the Chattahoochee River from 1904-1922 falling into disrepair in the 1930s. Half of the bridge was "stolen" in 1940, neighbors didn't know the workers cutting the bridge were not authorized to do so until it was too late.
. Burned in the late 1940s, it is also now submerged under Lake Lanier. Keith Bridge Road still exists today.
, and is now a unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
.
next to the Marietta Paper Mill, it was burned by arson
ists in 1967.
and Duluth, over the Chattahoochee River and the Fulton/Gwinnett
(originally Milton
/Gwinnett) county line. It still carries Georgia 141 (State Bridge Road / Pleasant Hill Road) over the river, very near State Bridge Crossing Elementary School on the Fulton
side.
Metro Atlanta
The Atlanta metropolitan area or metro Atlanta, officially designated by the US Census Bureau as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metro area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ninth-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
area, for which many of its current-day roads are named. Many of them originated as ferries
Historic ferries of the Atlanta area
There were several historic ferries around the metro Atlanta, Georgia area, for which many of its current-day roads are named. Most of the ferries date back to the 1820s and 1830s, to carry travelers across the Chattahoochee River or several other smaller rivers...
, dating back to the 1820s and 1830s, and carrying travelers across the Chattahoochee River
Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...
and several other smaller rivers. Several were also covered bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
s, a very few of which remain as historic site
Historic site
A historic site is an official location where pieces of political, military or social history have been preserved. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have recognized with the official national historic site status...
s.
Brown's Bridge
Brown's Bridge was a covered bridge located between CummingCumming, Georgia
Cumming is a city in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,430 at the 2010 census. However, places with a Cumming mailing address have a population of around 100,000...
and Gainesville
Gainesville, Georgia
-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...
, over the Chattahoochee River. It was carried downstream but intact in 1946, by a major flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
on February 7. Diver
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
s have reported it still intact under 120 feet or 36.5 meters of Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier
Lake Lanier is a reservoir in the northern portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created by the completion of Buford Dam on the Chattahoochee River in 1956, and is also fed by the waters of the Chestatee River. The lake encompasses of water, and of shoreline at normal level, a "full...
, which filled the river a few years later. http://wwwb.dot.ga.gov/specialsubjects/specialinterest/covered/graveyd/index.shtml
Browns Bridge Road (part of Georgia 369) still exists east of Georgia 9 at Coal Mountain
Coal Mountain, Georgia
Coal Mountain is an unincorporated community in Forsyth County, Georgia. The Coal Mountain area lies at the intersection of GA-369 and SR-9. It was once home to a post office that served the small community....
. Just upstream of the original bridge location, a modern bridge carries the road over the lake. To see more information on the modern Browns Bridge, click Browns Bridge
Browns Bridge
The Browns Bridge is a cantilever bridge in Georgia carrying the Georgia State Route 369 across Lake Sidney Lanier between Gainesville and Cumming. It is just 35 miles northeast of Atlanta....
A different Brown Bridge (not Browns) was located near Covington
Covington, Georgia
Covington is a city in Newton County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 13,118. The city is the county seat of Newton County...
.
Cheshire Bridge
One of the most well-known in the area crossed the south fork of Peachtree CreekPeachtree Creek
Peachtree Creek is a major stream in Atlanta. It flows for almost due west into the Chattahoochee River just south of Vinings. Like other "Peachtree" names in the area, the name is most likely a corruption of "pitch tree", from the area's many pines and their sticky sap.Peachtree Creek is an...
to connect Hezekiah Cheshire's home in what is now the Virginia-Highland
Virginia-Highland
Virginia-Highland is a neighborhood of Atlanta, Georgia, founded in the early 20th century as a streetcar suburb. It is named after the intersection of Virginia Avenue and North Highland Avenue, the heart of a busy commercial district at the center of the neighborhood. The neighborhood is famous...
neighborhood to his sons' farms on the other side of the creek.
Concord Covered Bridge
The Concord Covered Bridge is still located on Covered Bridge Road (past Concord Road) west of SmyrnaSmyrna, Georgia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 40,999 people, 18,372 households, and 9,498 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,949.9 people per square mile . There were 19,633 housing units at an average density of 1,412.6 per square mile...
, and is part of the county historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
named for it. It still carries cars over Nickajack Creek, but is one lane at a time. The Silver Comet Trail
Silver Comet Trail
The Silver Comet Trail is a paved, multi-use, recreational trail in western Georgia.-Route:The Silver Comet Trail is a rail trail and is named for the Silver Comet passenger train that used the same route from 1947 to 1969...
also runs over the creek
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
on a former railroad trestle
Trestle
A trestle is a rigid frame used as a support, especially referring to a bridge composed of a number of short spans supported by such frames. In the context of trestle bridges, each supporting frame is generally referred to as a bent...
very nearby. The East-West Connector, completed in 1997, was designed to protect the area by not connecting to Concord Road, thereby reducing potential traffic count
Traffic count
A traffic count is a count of traffic along a particular road, either done electronically or by people counting by the side of the road. Traffic counts can be used by local councils to identify which routes are used most, and to either improve that road or provide an alternative if there is an...
s on the bridge.
Grimes Bridge
Located over Vickery CreekVickery Creek
Big Creek is a stream in Forsyth and Fulton counties in Georgia. The creek mouth into the Chattahoochee River is located at the southern border of Roswell where State Route 9 crosses the river...
(Big Creek
Big Creek
-In Canada:* Big Creek , a tributary of the Chilcotin River* Big Creek Provincial Park, a British Columbia Provincial Park* Big Creek, British Columbia, a locality and former post office in the Chilcotin District of British Columbia...
) in Roswell
Roswell, Georgia
Roswell is a city located in northern Fulton County; it is a suburb of northern Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The 2010 Census population was 88,346. It is the eighth largest city in Georgia...
, just north of the Chattahoochee River. Since July 2008, Grimes Bridge Road is closed until 2009 to replace the bridge.http://www.roswellgov.com/index.php/m/articles/id/392
Holcomb Bridge
The Holcomb Bridge was over the Chattahoochee River, on what is now the edge of the city of Johns Creek. Holcomb Bridge Road carries Georgia 140, becoming Crossville Road (Georgia 92, as 140 turns north onto Alpharetta Highway to Houze Road) near downtown RoswellRoswell, Georgia
Roswell is a city located in northern Fulton County; it is a suburb of northern Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The 2010 Census population was 88,346. It is the eighth largest city in Georgia...
in the northwest, and Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
Boulevard upon crossing Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
Peachtree Industrial Boulevard
Peachtree Industrial Boulevard is a very long road that runs from Peachtree Street just south of Chamblee, and ends in Buford.-DeKalb County:-Gwinnett County:-See also:*Georgia State Route 141...
near downtown Norcross
Norcross, Georgia
As of 2010 Norcross had a population of 9,116. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 40.8% white , 19.8% black or African American , 0.7% Native American, 2.1% Asian Indian, 10.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 21.5% from some other race and 4.3% reporting two or more races...
in the southeast. Because it is so heavily traveled and densely
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
developed
Land development
Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:* changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing...
as an arterial road
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
, it is probably the most well-known "bridge" road in the area, along with Cheshire Bridge Road. There is also Old Holcomb Bridge Road, a previous alignment of part of the road northwest of the interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
with Georgia 400, since that freeway was built in the late 1960s.
Howell Bridge
Unlike Howell Mills and Howell Ferry, located near exurban CantonCanton, Georgia
Canton is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 22,958.-Geography:Canton is located at ....
.
Jones Bridge
Formerly Jones Ferry.Jones Bridge spanned the Chattahoochee River from 1904-1922 falling into disrepair in the 1930s. Half of the bridge was "stolen" in 1940, neighbors didn't know the workers cutting the bridge were not authorized to do so until it was too late.
Keith's Bridge
Located near Gainesville, Keith's Bridge was a covered bridge over the Chestatee RiverChestatee River
The Chestatee River is a river in the Appalachian Mountains of northern Georgia, USA. It begins at the confluence of Dicks Creek and Frogtown Creek The Chestatee River (variant spellings Chestatie, Chestetee, Chostatee, Chosteta, none in modern use) is a river in the Appalachian Mountains of...
. Burned in the late 1940s, it is also now submerged under Lake Lanier. Keith Bridge Road still exists today.
Settles Bridge
Located in SuwaneeSuwanee, Georgia
As of 2010 Suwanee had a population of 15,355. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 67.4% white, 10.8% black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 18.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.3% reporting some other race and 2.3% reporting two or more races...
, and is now a unit of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area preserves a series of sites between Atlanta in the United States and Lake Sidney Lanier along the Chattahoochee River. The 48-mile stretch of the river affords public recreation opportunities and access to historic spots...
.
Sope Creek covered bridge
Carrying Paper Mill Road over Sope CreekSope Creek
Sope Creek is an stream located in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. It is a significant tributary of the Chattahoochee River, and under high water levels it can be used for extreme whitewater kayaking...
next to the Marietta Paper Mill, it was burned by arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
ists in 1967.
State Bridge
State Bridge was located between Johns CreekJohns Creek, Georgia
Johns Creek is a suburban city in Fulton County, Georgia, USA, which incorporated December 1, 2006. It is named for a tributary that runs through the area. The city was created out of the northeastern part of unincorporated Fulton County...
and Duluth, over the Chattahoochee River and the Fulton/Gwinnett
Gwinnett
Gwinnett can refer to:*Button Gwinnett, signatory of the US Declaration of Independence*Gwinnett County, in the US state of Georgia*Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, Gwinnett County's first non-profit performing arts troupe...
(originally Milton
Milton County, Georgia
Milton County was a county of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1857 to 1931. It was created on December 18, 1857 from parts of northeastern Cobb, southeastern Cherokee, and southwestern Forsyth counties. The county was named for John Milton, Secretary of State of Georgia from 1777 to 1799...
/Gwinnett) county line. It still carries Georgia 141 (State Bridge Road / Pleasant Hill Road) over the river, very near State Bridge Crossing Elementary School on the Fulton
Fulton County School System
The Fulton County School System is a school district headquartered in East Point, Georgia, United States. The system serves the area of Fulton County, Georgia outside the Atlanta city limits...
side.