Captain William J. Hudson "Steamboat Bill" Memorial Bridges, Cantilever bridge system in Decatur, Alabama, US.
The Captain William J. Hudson Memorial Bridges consist of two parallel structures that cross the Tennessee River at one of its widest points. These cantilever and concrete bridge systems connect Morgan County with Limestone County, carrying three major routes across the river.
The William Keller Bridge, a drawbridge built in 1928, served the area for 70 years before being replaced in 1999. The current system combines an earlier 1963 cantilever structure with a newer concrete bridge to handle modern traffic demands.
The bridges honor Captain William J. Hudson, known as Steamboat Bill, reflecting the area's heritage of river navigation and its connection to the growth of land-based transportation networks.
The bridge system carries around 50,000 vehicles daily across three major routes, so expect continuous traffic flow. Plan your visit with congestion in mind, especially during rush hours when the crossings are busiest.
During the 1980s, shifts in the Tennessee River's current created navigation hazards that resulted in several barge collisions with the original drawbridge. These incidents helped demonstrate the need for the more modern and stable bridge design that replaced it.
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