1934 MNBR/MNBR Neheola Bridge over Tombigbee River near Pennington, AL

(Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

MNBR = Meridian & Bigbee Railroad

It turns out the Meridian & Bigbee is the name for this route on my 1928 map AND the current name of the Genesee & Wyoming subsidy.

This bridge carried road traffic until 2000. I was going to pass on yet-another-lift bridge until I saw it went over the Tombigbee River. The new road bridge opened in 2001.

Debbie Newsom Hampton posted
The Old Naheola Bridge (an affiliated branch line with CSX) at Pennington, AL is one of only a few bridges in the world that ever accommodated rail, auto, and river traffic. Traffic lights, controlled by the drawbridge operator, were necessary because the bridge was only wide enough for one-way traffic, and motorists could not see from one end of it to the other because the half-mile long structure had a blind curve at one end. The lights also alerted motorists of an oncoming train or when the drawbridge was raised to allow river traffic to pass underneath. Auto traffic was discontinued on the railroad bridge in 2001 and thus the Old Naheola’s claim to fame.
C Kent McKenzie Here's a website that has a few photos of the bridge deck that give an idea of how fun it would've been to drive over this structure: https://www.ruralswalabama.org/attrac.../old-naheola-bridge/
C Kent McKenzie Here's a photo of two pickup trucks tailgating the daily M&B Freight across the bridge: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1324304

Randall Hampton shared

Not sure exactly when this shot was taken, but the diversion of the road onto the modern highway bridge was done in 2001, so this pic has to be older than that.

This rail line has operated under many different names, including the Selma & Meridian, the Western Railway of Alabama, Atlanta & West Point, Family Lines, Seaboard System, Southern Railway, and most recently the Meridian and Bigbee, a subisidiary of G&W. It interchanges with CSX in Montgomery and at three other points with NS, BNSF, KCS, and Alabama & Gulf Coast. The west end is Meridian, MS.

The Tombigbee River has quite a story of its own; a rather infamous federal project involving the investment of many tens of millions of dollars on dredging and lock construction on a barge route that nobody wanted. It's a shorter and straighter route from the Gulf to central Tennessee than the Mississippi River, but the locks are too small for today's monster barge strings. And if a tug breaks up a set of barges and takes them through the locks a few at a time, the run takes longer than going around the long way.

Here's the Google Maps street level view from the new road bridge:
https://www.google.com/…/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sRRMEv1lrCJ5gmJ…

al.com via a James Smith share

No wonder traffic lights were needed because you couldn't see the other end. Big trucks were not allowed on the bridge so truck traffic to the paper mill on the west side of the bridge had to go a long way around.

Thanks to the road bridge that has been built next to it, you can see the top part of the towers in detail.

Street View

While reading the american-rails page on this railroad, I got the following before I finished reading the post. So now I have to think three or four times before I ever access another link going to american-rails.

The new MNBR purchased some former L&N trackage from CSX and obtained trackage rights into Montgomery, AL. [HawkinsRails, if you scroll down past the locomotives, there are some timetables.]

Jim Hobgood posted
Former Hwy/RR bridge across Tombigbee River between Pennington and Myrtlewood, Alabama, Labor Day 2020!

Rob Hinojosa commented on Jim's post
This was taken maybe 16 years ago I was part of the bridge gang that removed the road panels and guard railing converting this bridge to an open deck.

Billy Milstead | RuralSWAlabama.org via al.com
"It was one of two bridges in the world where cars and trains shared the same surface."
[The Cherry Street Bridge in Chicago used to share the same surface between cars and trains. But it is short and rather easy to see if it is occupied.]

Choctaw Chamber posted

Good morning folks! It's time for another #ThrowbackThurdsay brought to you by the Choctaw County Historical Museum! Pictured below is the world-famous "old" Naheola Bridge near Pennington. Built in 1934, it was once one of only two bridges in the world that accommodated both rail and automobile traffic on the same surface.

Did you ever travel across the Naheola Bridge? We'd love to hear your memories!

For more information on other activities of the Choctaw County Historical Museum, "like" their Facebook page Choctaw County Historical Museum!

(Photo provided by Mr. Tyler Reynolds)

Lee Herring shared
[There are lots of comments pointing out other bridges where rail and autos shared the same surface.]

Daniel Kee posted
Myrtle Wood,Al 2005 Meridian BigBee Railroad
Jimmy Corder: Rode the railroad and highway bridge. BNSF has couple of tracks at the mill. [So does that mean BNSF runs trains to the mill using trackage rights?]
Don Trimble: Still have to hand crank the bridge? [I've never heard of a lift bridge being hand cranked.]