Thanks to my homies for making me realize that this bridge was even reviewable!
I am a man who loves bridges. The amount of engineering that goes into these structures is truly fascinating and it almost makes me like engineers. Almost.
My favorite type of bridge is the cantilever style bridge and these bridges are a great example of the style, even though they were built decades apart. I am not really sure why this style of bridge is my favorite, but I suspect it has something to do with the CCC bridges in New Orleans. You see, I grew up driving those bridges to school, to work and to visit the greatest city on earth. But this review is about the Natchez-Vidalia bridges, so I will get down to the nitty gritty of my review.
The original span crossing the river was built by the WPA in 1940. That bridge, which now carries all of the Louisiana bound traffic is a bit frightening to cross. The lanes are only eight feet wide, compared to the normal eleven feet wide lanes of today, and there are no shoulders. The newer bridge has the traditional width lanes and a shoulder and was built in 1988. It carries all of the Mississippi bound traffic and is far more relaxing to cross.
The other interesting thing about these bridges is that they travel from one state to another. Whenever I find a bridge that connects two different states, I have to urge drive over it, u-turn and head back. Even if I don't have any need to visit the other side, I think it is super cool to cross from one state to another via a bridge. The only other time I can remember doing this was when my dad drove me into Arkansas from Memphis for no other reason than there was bridge connecting the two states. I know it sounds strange, but try it and you'll understand.
Another cool thing about these bridges is the view when heading to Mississippi. Natchez is quite a bit above sea level so there are actual cliffs along the banks of the river. It is far different from the view in my home town.
If you happen to be in the area, I strongly recommend you cross these bridges. read more