17 replies to this topic

[roadhound]

This combination railroad and auto bridge once carried traffic for 2 US Routes, one was east-west, the other north-south. One of the routes no longer exists and the other is now 695 miles away. Can you name the location of the bridge and the two US Routes that used it?

For bonus points what year was the bridge built and when were the US routes moved to a newer bridge?

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

A fun idea! I'll see if I can figure it out!

Keep the Show on the Road!

[Alex Burr - hester_nec]

This combination railroad and auto bridge once carried traffic for 2 US Routes, one was east-west, the other north-south. One of the routes no longer exists and the other is now 695 miles away. Can you name the location of the bridge and the two US Routes that used it?

For bonus points what year was the bridge built and when were the US routes moved to a newer bridge?

Apparently that idea was not isolated to that bridge. Here in Memphis we have the Harrahan Railroad bridge, built in 1916. In 1926 wings were added to each side, covered with wooden planking and provided auto traffic an east/west access. Routes that used this bridge were 61, 64, 70 and a couple others (my reference material is at the other house). At one time part of the roadbed burned, set fire from sparks from a locomotive. At 108 feet in the air I think I'd rather swim the river!!!!
You can read more on my website @ http://www.freewebs....eller/index.htm - click on "Memphis Day Trips" and scroll down to the 2nd entry, "1 January 2007.

Safe travels.

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr

[roadhound]

Apparently that idea was not isolated to that bridge. Here in Memphis we have the Harrahan Railroad bridge, built in 1916. In 1926 wings were added to each side, covered with wooden planking and provided auto traffic an east/west access. Routes that used this bridge were 61, 64, 70 and a couple others (my reference material is at the other house). At one time part of the roadbed burned, set fire from sparks from a locomotive. At 108 feet in the air I think I'd rather swim the river!!!!
You can read more on my website @ http://www.freewebs....eller/index.htm - click on "Memphis Day Trips" and scroll down to the 2nd entry, "1 January 2007.

Safe travels.

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr

Memphis? My brother lives in Memphis, or near Memphis I should say. He lives in Rossville. I will have to remember that you live there next time I go out there to get some tips on places to see.

Nope, the bridge is not in Memphis but if you Mapquest the driving directions from the bridge pictured to Memphis 1697 of the miles on the recommended route is an Interstate that is numbered the same as one of the US Routes that went across the bridge.

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

Memphis? My brother lives in Memphis, or near Memphis I should say. He lives in Rossville. I will have to remember that you live there next time I go out there to get some tips on places to see.

Nope, the bridge is not in Memphis but if you Mapquest the driving directions from the bridge pictured to Memphis 1697 of the miles on the recommended route is an Interstate that is numbered the same as one of the US Routes that went across the bridge.

Roadhound,

I think this is a fun idea, but maybe you should do a 20 questions thing with the rule that no one questioner can have two consecutive questions, and all the questions must be answered "Yes, No, Don’t Know, or Can’t Answer, Needs restating" ... in the order received.

Just a thought, but “Is the bridge in California, Nevada, or Utah?

Tell me again your departure date as I am moving things out of boxes to new shelves and drawers and hope to find the Brush book before you leave.

Keep the Show on the Road.

[roadhound]

Roadhound,

Just a thought, but “Is the bridge in California, Nevada, or Utah?

Yes

Thats 1 question.

Tell me again your departure date as I am moving things out of boxes to new shelves and drawers and hope to find the Brush book before you leave.

I will PM you with the info.

roadhound

[Alex Burr - hester_nec]

Memphis? My brother lives in Memphis, or near Memphis I should say. He lives in Rossville. I will have to remember that you live there next time I go out there to get some tips on places to see.

Nope, the bridge is not in Memphis but if you Mapquest the driving directions from the bridge pictured to Memphis 1697 of the miles on the recommended route is an Interstate that is numbered the same as one of the US Routes that went across the bridge.

Rossville Junction - oh yeah, on TN 57 just west of that speed trap they call Moscow. My daughter got nailed in Moscow - we were following a pickup truck out of town, yakking with each other - we get stopped for 6 over the limit and the pickup goes on his merry way.

You get down to Memphis way - drop us an email and we'll be glad to show you some of the sights in town.

Hudsonly,
Alex Burr
hester_nec@yahoo.com

[roadhound]

Only 1 guess so far? I didn't think this was that tough. Time to pull out the maps and start figuring this one out.

Let's recap what we know so far:

-The bridge once hosted 2 US Routes, one north-south the other east-west
-One of the US Routes no longer officially exists
-The other US Route is now 695 miles away
-The bridge is at least 1697 miles from Memphis
-The number of one of the US Routes that once crossed the bridge is the same number as the Interstate that passes through Memphis.
-the bridge is in either California, Nevada, or Utah.

Next guess anyone?

roadhound

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

Only 1 guess so far? I didn't think this was that tough. Time to pull out the maps and start figuring this one out.

Let's recap what we know so far:

-The bridge once hosted 2 US Routes, one north-south the other east-west
-One of the US Routes no longer officially exists
-The other US Route is now 695 miles away
-The bridge is at least 1697 miles from Memphis
-The number of one of the US Routes that once crossed the bridge is the same number as the Interstate that passes through Memphis.
-the bridge is in either California, Nevada, or Utah.

Next guess anyone?

roadhound

This is not a question (but it may sound like one ! Are you sure that the number is 1697 and not 1679? Not a question!!! Just a reaffirmation !

Keep the Show on the Road

[roadhound]

This is not a question (but it may sound like one ! Are you sure that the number is 1697 and not 1679? Not a question!!! Just a reaffirmation !

Keep the Show on the Road

My bad. It should have been 1697.

What I originally wrote was :

but if you Mapquest the driving directions from the bridge pictured to Memphis 1697 of the miles on the recommended route is an Interstate that is numbered the same as one of the US Routes that went across the bridge.

Let just say its more than a 1700 mile drive between Memphis and the bridge and leave it at that.

roadhound

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

My bad. It should have been 1697.

What I originally wrote was :
Let just say its more than a 1700 mile drive between Memphis and the bridge and leave it at that.

roadhound

So you are sticking to 1697. Hummmm. Mapquest for Californians must be different than for the rest of us !Yah, Yah it’s more than 1700, and either 1679 or 1697 is along a route that has the same number as one of the roads crossing the bridge.

Any 1697 mile road Mapquest would route you on from Memphis runs east and west, so it is even numbered (eg I40). The only interstates that Mapquest can use to take you west to California, Nevada, and Utah are I40, I70, or I80. I don’t recall a US 70 in CA, NV, or UT, so the bridge is probably on US 40 or US 80. However it can’t be on US 80 because Mapquest would never route you along I 80 to any destination on US 80. So its US 40 across the bridge.

The bridge is over calm muddy water. Not in the mountains for sure!

The distance from Memphis to Barstow along I40 is 1679, not 1697, thus my request for reaffirmation (which you cleverly evaded ). It is important because you would leave I40 at Barstow for destinations anywhere in central or northern California (eg US 40 around the Bay area or Stockton, etc.)

So what do we “know.” At least one of the roads crossing the bridge is probably US 40. It is in California. If the 1697 wasn’t a red herring (which you now appear to be suddenly vague about ), then the route to the bridge goes along I40 as far as Barstow.

But piecing it together, the bridge is in northern California, in flat country, along US 40.

The next puzzle is what north south road no longer exists. US99 still exists. Maybe the Pacific Highway (pre US99) has lost its identity, but not in the hearts of us ole roadies......

Well, I have some “honey does” on the agenda this morning, but if someone hasn’t nailed it later today, I will very soon. I'm closing in (maybe!!).

I think I should get a free question!

Keep the Show on the Road!

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

Hold it!!

I see you have snuck in the word "officially" in saying that the road no longer exists. Now it no longer "officially" exists. Very tricky. Have you considered a career in politics!? OK, that fixes this bridge on old US40.

Keep the Show on the Road!

Hold it!!

I see you have snuck in the word "officially" in saying that the road no longer exists. Now it no longer "officially" exists. Very tricky. Have you considered a career in politics!? OK, that fixes this bridge on old US40.

Keep the Show on the Road!

OK, on old 40, the north south US highway is probably US99E or US99W, or whatever they are today, so off to Google.

Keep the Show on the Road!

[roadhound]

Hold it!!

I see you have snuck in the word "officially" in saying that the road no longer exists. Now it no longer "officially" exists. Very tricky. Have you considered a career in politics!? OK, that fixes this bridge on old US40.

Keep the Show on the Road!
OK, on old 40, the north south US highway is probably US99E or US99W, or whatever they are today, so off to Google.

Keep the Show on the Road!

You are getting warm my friend despite my attempts to muddy the waters by including the reference to Memphis and the road that runs through it.

roadhound

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

You are getting warm my friend despite my attempts to muddy the waters by including the reference to Memphis and the road that runs through it.

roadhound

If old US 40 crossed this bridge it was in the dead of night!

The only way to go form Memphis along I40 for as many as 1679 miles is via Barstow. And unless Mapquest backtracks (it doesn’t), that necessarily places the subject section of US 40 in Northern California.

The only north south US highway intersecting US 40 in California is US 99 E & W. The only place US 40 runs with either is between Davis and Roseville.

To reinforce that possibility, this is a pivoting bridge which exists only on navigable waters, which could be any of the sloughs or associated waters of the Sacramento or San Joaquin Rivers.

That said, I have scouted every bridge along that route and find no two bridges so close beside one another.

So I will ask, is this bridge geographically between Davis and Roseville within 10 miles on either side of I80?

Keep the Show on the Road!

[roadhound]

If old US 40 crossed this bridge it was in the dead of night!

The only way to go form Memphis along I40 for as many as 1679 miles is via Barstow. And unless Mapquest backtracks (it doesn’t), that necessarily places the subject section of US 40 in Northern California.

The only north south US highway intersecting US 40 in California is US 99 E & W. The only place US 40 runs with either is between Davis and Roseville.

To reinforce that possibility, this is a pivoting bridge which exists only on navigable waters, which could be any of the sloughs or associated waters of the Sacramento or San Joaquin Rivers.

That said, I have scouted every bridge along that route and find no two bridges so close beside one another.

So I will ask, is this bridge geographically between Davis and Roseville within 10 miles on either side of I80?

Keep the Show on the Road!

You are getting closer. It is geographically between Davis and Roseville and within 10 miles of I-80.

Don't forget that it is also a railroad bridge.

roadhound

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

You are getting closer. It is geographically between Davis and Roseville and within 10 miles of I-80.

Don't forget that it is also a railroad bridge.

roadhound

*!#!&*@+!!! I have been looking for two bridges side by side, not a single two tiered bridge! No wonder I can't find it!

Back to the maps!

Keep the Show on the Road!

[Keep the Show on the Road!]

*!#!&*@+!!! I have been looking for two bridges side by side, not a single two tiered bridge! No wonder I can't find it!

Back to the maps!

Keep the Show on the Road!

Visually, it looks like the I Street Bridge in Sacramento. I haven't confirmed the auto routes but a rail line looks to have crossed it, so lets ask "Is it the I Street Bridge?"
Keep the Show on the Road!

[roadhound]

Visually, it looks like the I Street Bridge in Sacramento. I haven't confirmed the auto routes but a rail line looks to have crossed it, so lets ask "Is it the I Street Bridge?"
Keep the Show on the Road!

Yes, it is indeed the I Street Bridge in Sacramento.

Here's a link with a bit more info: http://home.pacbell....dge_history.htm

As the winner of the first quiz you get the honor of posting bridge quiz#2. I am looking forward to seeing what you can pull out of that vast archive of yours. Postcards and photos are all fair game.

roadhound