Our historic Walnut Street Bridge

Heavy downtown traffic crosses the broad Tennessee River daily in Chattanooga via the Chief John Ross Bridge at Market Street, the P.R. Olgiati Bridge and the Veterans Bridge. But our Walnut Street Bridge, no longer used for motor traffic, is still important to us. It's in the news now because it is being closed for an expected five months of repairs.

Chattanooga grew out of a Tennessee Riverbank trading post established in the early 1800s by Cherokee Chief John Ross. He also operated a ferry to facilitate crossing. In the War Between the States period, there was a trestle bridge, made of logs, that we might describe today as looking like "telephone poles." But that accommodation was swept away by floodwaters. The Walnut Street Bridge was a triumph of the 1890s, being the first "permanent" connection between downtown Chattanooga and the North Shore.

In addition to cars, the Walnut Street Bridge had tracks for streetcars to cross. But time took its toll, and the Walnut Street Bridge was closed to vehicles in 1978. Fortunately, suggestions that it be torn down did not prevail, and the 2,376-foot-long span eventually was refurbished, not for cars, but as a pedestrian walkway and "linear park."

Many people have enjoyed the Walnut Street Bridge over the years. It is definitely an asset, and fortunately will be again after refurbishing is completed.