RK/L&N/MC&L Bridge over Red River in Clarksville, TN

(no Bridge Hunter, Satellite)

20161215 6951c

While driving into Clarksville, TN from I-24 on US-79, I spotted an interesting bridge. When I saw it had a wood trestle approach, I found a parking lot so that I could safely turn back and check it out.

It is interesting to note that the satellite image shows that the Red River it goes over is actually red.

The shot above catches the southern end of the RK/L&N/MC&L approach trestle. I was surprised that it is a non-trivial wood trestle. Later I found another RK bridge with a long approach trestle that was also made of wood. The shot below sacrifices catching the southern end of the trestle so that I can catch the part that goes over the river.

This shot focuses on the bridge over the river.

This is a digital zoom of the above picture. I include a 3D Satellite picture below to help illustrate that the bridge must have originally been two truss spans held up by a big cut-stone pier. Those trusses were replaced by still girders and additional steel piers, but they reused the stone pier. In the satellite image, note the logjam behind that center pier. Judging from the width of the stone pier, the original trusses must have carried two tracks.

3D Satellite

Since Google is doing a good job with the 3D image, I include an overview that has the trestle as well.

3D Satellite