1931 Bill Graves Bridge over Coosa River in Wetumpka, AL

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter is broke; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Brian Tannehill, Mar 2019

The lampposts indicated where the piers are from which the arches launch. So about an eighth of the rainbow arch is under the deck on both ends of the arch.

Street View, Sep 2023

Historic Alabama Online posted
Opening of the Bibb Graves Bridge over the Coosa River in Wetumpka, Alabama.1931

HistoricBridges
This 878' (240m) long bridge has spans of 140' (43m).
"This large multi-span rainbow arch bridge is the only one of its kind in Alabama, and one of the top historic bridges in the state. The bridge retains excellent historic integrity. Overall the bridge is in good condition as well, although for unknown reasons a single through arch span is suffering from ASR [Alkali-Silica Reaction] cracking."

GlobalGilson, photo credit: ASR Identification Handbook
"Although Alkali-Silica Reactivity (ASR) has created problems in concrete mixtures for centuries, the mechanism was not understood and documented until the mid-1930s. Thomas Stanton, an engineer with the California State Division of Highways, identified the issue. By 1940, he had completed his research showing that alkali content in cement, the amount of reactive silica in the aggregate, and the availability of moisture caused the expansion of sample mortar bars in laboratory tests. ASR is now recognized as a significant cause of concrete deterioration anywhere in the world where siliceous aggregates are found."
A diagram shows that the problem in the aggregates is SiO2.
[I thought that sand was used as one of the aggregates in concrete mixtures. But I guess not because I just confirmed that SiO2, or silica, is the primary chemical in sand. [CivilToday]]

Wayne Moncrief Sr. posted two photos with the comment:

The Story of Wetumpka’s Bridges

Wetumpka has had four bridges over the Coosa River, each one marking a new chapter in the town’s growth.

1. The First Bridge1834

Wetumpka’s very first bridge was built in 1834, a wooden structure that connected the two sides of the young river town. It didn’t last long.

In 1844, a massive flood tore it away and sent it downstream.

2. Horace King’s Bridge1844

Later that same year, Wetumpka turned to Horace King, one of the most remarkable builders in Southern history.

King was:

A self‑taught engineer

Enslaved at the time

A master bridge builder whose skill was unmatched

A man who purchased his freedom in 1846

Later helped build the Alabama State Capitol

His 1844 bridge stood as a symbol of craftsmanship, resilience, and the brilliance of a man who rose from bondage to become one of the South’s greatest builders.

3. The Iron & Steel Truss Bridge 1887

By 1887, Wetumpka needed something stronger.

The town built its first iron and steel through‑truss bridge, a modern marvel for its time. It served Wetumpka for decades, carrying wagons, cars, and generations of families across the Coosa.

Eventually, as the town grew, the old truss bridge became outdated.

4. The Bibb Graves Bridge 1930s

The bridge standing today is the Bibb Graves Bridge, named after David Bibb Graves, Alabama’s 38th governor.

Its iconic arches have become one of Wetumpka’s most recognizable landmarks photographed, painted, filmed, and loved by locals and visitors alike.

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Tim Hornsby commented on Wayne's post
I took this one several years ago

1 of 4 photos posted by Wayne Moncrief Sr.

If you ever ride down the banks of the Coosa River and close your eyes, you can still hear it — that low rumble of water slipping over the rocks. Long before Wetumpka was a town, long before cotton traders and riverboats, that sound gave this place its name. Wetumpka — “rumbling waters” in the Creek language.

But the story starts even earlier.

A Native American village called Taskigi stood right here, watching the river roll by. Families cooked over open fires, children played in the shade of giant trees, and the Coosa was their lifeline.

 1820 A Town Begins

While places like Eclectic were founded by one man, and Montgomery by Andrew Dexter Jr. and General Scott, Wetumpka grew differently. It wasn’t born from one person’s dream — it rose from the river itself.

By the 1820s, pioneers began settling. Two small towns formed on opposite sides of the river, growing fast thanks to the booming cotton trade.

One of the oldest buildings still standing today is the Old Stone Jail, built from hand‑cut local stone. If those walls could talk, they’d tell stories of sheriffs, outlaws, and long nights under lantern light.

Wetumpka’s charm didn’t stay hidden.

It became the backdrop for:

Big Fish (2003)

The Grass Harp (1995)

Hometown Takeover (2021)

The world finally saw what locals already knew — this town has magic in its bones.

Wetumpka has faced eight major floods over the years. The river that named the town also tested it. Streets underwater, homes damaged, businesses washed out — but never washed away.

A tornado tore through downtown, ripping apart buildings and landmarks. But it couldn’t take Wetumpka’s spirit. Neighbors helped neighbors. Volunteers showed up before officials could. And the town came back stronger, brighter, and more united than ever

Wetumpka stands proud as the county seat, a town built not by one man, but by generations of people who refused to give up. A place where history whispers from every corner, where the river still rumbles, and where the past and present walk side by side.

This town didn’t just survive it thrived.

And its story is still being written                     

Bonus

This had to be a lock. Note the notches for the gates.

Satellite