{{short description|Bridge in Knoxville, TN, USA over the Tennessee River}} {{For|the bridge in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania|Gay Street Bridge (Phoenixville, Pennsylvania)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} thumb|The bridge in 2025 The '''Gay Street Bridge''' is a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Tennessee River in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Completed in 1898, the {{convert|1512|ft|m|adj=on}} bridge<ref name=carver>Martha Carver, ''Tennessee's Survey Report for Historic Highway Bridges: Pre-1946 Masonry Arch, Timber Truss, Metal Truss, Concrete Arch, Metal Arch and Suspension Bridges'' (Nashville, Tenn.: Tennessee Department of Transportation, 2008), pp. 384–386.</ref> is the oldest of four bridges connecting Downtown Knoxville with South Knoxville, the other three being the Henley Bridge, the James E. "Buck" Karnes Bridge (Alcoa Highway), and the James C. Ford Memorial Bridge.
==Description== The bridge is a steel spandrel-braced (cantilever) arched design with a concrete deck.<ref name=KnoxMPC /> There are five arched trusses, each {{convert|252|ft|m}} long, and two {{convert|126|ft|m|adj=on}} approach spans at each end, all supported by a foundation of stone piers. The deck is {{convert|42|ft|m}} wide, and consists of two vehicle lanes, each flanked by a pedestrian sidewalk. The bridge originally contained trolley tracks, but these were removed in 1938.<ref name=carver />
==History==
=== Previous bridges === The first bridge across the Tennessee River at this site was a temporary pontoon bridge built during the American Civil War. It was followed by a permanent bridge with stone supporting piers, built by Union General Ambrose E. Burnside, that was washed away in a flood in March 1867.<ref name="KnoxMPC" /> Knox County built a covered bridge at the site, which opened on May 2, 1875, but it was blown down by a tornado shortly afterward.<ref name="KnoxMPC" /><ref name="carver" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=South Knoxville Part One: Chapman Highway and Vestal - The Knoxville Focus |url=https://www.knoxfocus.com/archives/south-knoxville-part-one-chapman-highway-and-vestal/ |access-date=2022-05-20 |language=en-US}}</ref>
The county sold the surviving piers and rights-of-way to G. W. Saulpaw, who built a wooden Howe truss bridge at the site in 1880. Saulpaw's bridge stood until 1898, when it was demolished after the completion of the Gay Street Bridge.<ref name="carver" />
=== Planning and construction === thumb|The Gay Street Bridge under construction, circa 1897–1898; the Saulpaw bridge (1880–1898) is on the left
The Gay Street Bridge was designed by Charles E. Fowler, chief engineer of the Youngstown Bridge Company of Ohio.<ref name="KnoxMPC">[http://www.knoxmpc.org/historic/areas/citylist.htm Designated Properties: Knoxville Historic Zoning Commission] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070712083132/http://www.knoxmpc.org/historic/areas/citylist.htm |date=July 12, 2007 }}, Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission website, accessed October 15, 2009</ref> Fowler later boasted that he had hastily sketched the bridge's design—which was chosen over three other bids—on the back of an envelope during his train ride to Knoxville to meet with county officials.<ref name="carver" />
Construction of the bridge, which was supervised by Fowler, began in 1897. Due to the scarcity of certain building materials during the Spanish–American War, Fowler was forced to modify his original design, and was constantly bickering with Knox County officials over who should pay the extra costs.<ref name="carver" />
=== Operation === thumb|The bridge in 2010, with Knoxville's skyline in the distanceThe Gay Street Bridge opened to traffic on July 9, 1898.<ref name=bridgehunter>[http://bridgehunter.com/tn/knox/47L37750003/ Gay Street Bridge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010163110/http://www.bridgehunter.com/tn/knox/47L37750003/ |date=October 10, 2008 }}, Historic Bridges of the United States website, accessed October 15, 2009</ref> Knox County issued a statement proclaiming the bridge "for the use of all the world except Spain," in reference to the war which had been raging throughout the year. Engineering journals such as ''Engineering News'' and ''Bridge Engineering'' praised the bridge's combination of safety and aesthetics.<ref name=carver /> Because the 1898 bridge included trolley tracks, its construction accelerated residential development in the Island Home Park area on the south side of the river, which previously had been isolated from downtown Knoxville.<ref>[http://ihpna.net/ihphistory.html Island Home History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509090430/http://ihpna.net/ihphistory.html |date=2010-05-09 }}, Island Home Park Neighborhood Association website, accessed October 15, 2009</ref>
After receiving poor safety ratings, the bridge was extensively repaired in a project that required its closure from December 2001 to April 2004. Repairs included replacement of rusted pin joints and bearings and replacement of concrete on the bridge deck.<ref>[http://www.ci.knoxville.tn.us/press_releases/content/2004/0412.asp Historic Gay Street bridge reopens Monday] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718182221/http://www.ci.knoxville.tn.us/press_releases/content/2004/0412.asp |date=2011-07-18 }}, City of Knoxville press release, April 12, 2004</ref>
=== Closure === thumb|Deck of the bridge, currently inaccessible, in 2025 On June 25, 2024, after an annual inspection by the TN Department of Transportation (TDOT), the bridge was closed to all traffic, due to finding a "compromised element". Because the bridge is not on an official State maintained route, the City of Knoxville will be responsible for repairs. Until the closure, the bridge had passed every annual inspection by TDOT since the 2004 refurbishment.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gay Street Bridge in Knoxville Closed Following Inspection |url=https://www.tn.gov/tdot/news/2024/6/25/gay-street-bridge-in-knoxville-closed-following-inspection.html |access-date=5 July 2024 |agency=TN Department of Transportation |date=25 June 2024}}</ref>
On February 12, 2025, the City of Knoxville announced that The Gay Street Bridge would not re-open to vehicle traffic and would instead continue its life as a pedestrian and cycle bridge. In the same press conference, Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon said that the city will investigate the possibility of the bridge being re-opened to Knoxville Area Transit busses and emergency services in the future.<ref>{{cite news | title=Gay Street Bridge will never reopen to vehicle traffic, but will for pedestrians and bicyclists | access-date=12 February 2025 | date=12 February 2025 | newspaper=Knox News Sentinel | last= Feinberg |first=Allie |url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2025/02/12/gay-street-bridge-in-knoxville-will-never-reopen-to-vehicle-traffic/76897293007/}}</ref>
=== Reopening === On December 16, 2025, the bridge reopened for pedestrians and cyclists only.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}}
==See also== * Volunteer Landing
==References== {{Commons category|Gay Street Bridge}} {{reflist}}
== Further reading ==
* [https://bridgehunter.com/tn/knox/saulpaw/ Gay Street Bridge]{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} at [https://bridgehunter.com/ Bridgehunter]
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Category:Buildings and structures in Knoxville, Tennessee Category:Bridges over the Tennessee River Category:Bridges completed in 1898 Category:Road bridges in Tennessee Category:Arch bridges in the United States Category:Steel bridges in the United States Category:Cantilever bridges in the United States Category:Truss bridges in the United States Category:1898 establishments in Tennessee