Market Street Bridge
National Register of Historic Places

Market Street Bridge

Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee
Listed
December 20, 2010
Type
Structure
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
10001047

About this property

The Market Street Bridge, officially referred to as the John Ross Bridge, is a bascule bridge that spans the Tennessee River between downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Northshore District. It carries North Market Street (formerly designated as U.S. Route 127), and was named in honor of Cherokee Chief John Ross. The bridge was completed in 1917 at a cost of $1.1 million. In the mid-1970s, the southern terminus of US 127 was moved several miles north to the intersection of Dayton Boulevard and Signal Mountain Boulevard in the nearby suburb of Red Bank. The bridge has concrete arch spans flanking a center draw span, which is a steel truss with double-leaf Scherzer rolling lift bascule mechanism. The double-leaf bascule lift span stands approximately 70 feet above the water. At the time of its completion in 1917, the 300-foot (91 m) main span was the longest rolling-lift bascule span in the world. Vehicular traffic originally included streetcars, but streetcar service across the bridge ended in the 1930s. The bridge was formally renamed the Chief John Ross Bridge in 1950. The bridge closed in 2005 for a renovation, but reopened on August 4, 2007, ahead of its originally scheduled September completion date. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 20, 2010. Four times per year, the bridge is closed for a brief inspection to test its hinge mechanism, as mandated by the US Coast Guard.

Location

Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee
35.06356, -85.30892

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONENGINEERING
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Nearby Historic Sites

Walnut Street Bridge
Civil War
0.2 mi
Signal Knitting Mills
Industrial
0.2 mi
Ross's Landing
Listed
0.5 mi
Faxon-Thomas Mansion
Industrial
0.6 mi
Chattanooga Electric Railway
Industrial
0.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Chattanooga
1863Civil War
1.2 mi
Battle of Chattanooga — Orchard Knob Assault
1863Civil War
2.8 mi
Battles for Chattanooga — Orchard Knob
1863Civil War
2.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Market Street Bridge listed on the National Register?

Market Street Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 20, 2010.

What type of historic resource is Market Street Bridge?

Market Street Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Market Street Bridge?

The period of significance for Market Street Bridge is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1917.

Can I research the history near Market Street Bridge?

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