General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge, Road bridge over Mobile-Tensaw River Delta, Alabama, United States.
The General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge is a road crossing with twin parallel steel arches that stretch nearly six miles across the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta in Alabama. Concrete roadways connect the arches to lower viaducts at both ends of the span.
Construction began in 1978, and Governor Fob James dedicated the bridge on October 2, 1981, together with the 12-mile I-65 segment between U.S. Route 43 and State Route 225. The project cost $137 million, then the most expensive highway project in Alabama history. The span honors Walter K. Wilson, a Mobile resident and Army Corps of Engineers Chief who pressed for a high-level crossing over the Mobile River.
Locals call it the "Dolly Parton Bridge" because the red aircraft warning lights on top of the two parallel arches, seen from certain directions, resemble the singer's figure. The nickname is used far more often than the official name in daily traffic reports.
The crossing carries four lanes and connects Mobile to northern destinations along Interstate 65. Heavy traffic can occur during peak travel times and maintenance work.
A truck accident in 2014 caused extreme heat damage to the concrete deck and required several months of partial closure for repairs. The incident showed how sensitive modern concrete structures can be to high temperatures.
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