Time Zone and US-70 Bridges over Piney Creek near Rockwood, TN

Time Zone: (Archived Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

US-70: (Archived Bridge Hunter, no Historic Bridges; Satellite) Originally called the Time Line Bridge. Now it is officially the Ray R. Baird Memorial Bridge.

The Time Zone Bridge was built by the Tennessee Central Railroad. It was bought by Southern, which became NS. BridgeHunter_tz says it is now the Franklin Industrial Minerals Railroad (FIMX).

A small fraction of the trestle.

Street View, Jun 2024

The approaches still have wood.

Street View, Jun 2024

Comment by Carroll Jernigan on BridgeHunter_tz:

This is another bridge originally built by the Tennessee Central Railroad that fell into the hands of the Southern Railway after TC's 1968 bankruptcy. This bridge along with three beautiful trestles are located in a thirteen mile stretch of track now operated by a limestone mining co in Crab Orchard, TN. After the closure of the TC the Tennessee State legislature passed a bill allowing the state to purchase the entire rail line and hopefully operate it as a tourist railroad. That bill was vetoed by the Governor.

Photo via BridgeHunter_tz, Photo taken by Calvin Sneed in June 2010

Frank Keller Photography posted
Lhoist 3043 crossing Piney Creek Trestle near Rockwood, TN 4.8.22

John Fry Images: Nice catch crossing the time zone bridge!

US-70 (Time Line Bridge)

The road bridge looks like a UCEB when you drive over it, but Frank's photo makes it obvious that it is an arch bridge. In fact, a "concrete open spandrel deck arch bridge (3 spandrel ribs)" arch. [BridgeHunter_US_70]

Photo from BridgeHunter_US_70
"Built 1929-31; rehabilitated 1978" The 350' (107m) long bridge has a main span of 178' (54m).