Talk:James T. Harahan

Harahan bridge
When this article is created, prob. by someone other than myself, it might be of interest to mention that one of the older bridges crossing the Mississippi River at the south end of downtown Memphis, often collectively referred to as "the old bridge," or "the south bridge," is named after Harahan. This is as opposed to the north, or "new" bridge, which carries Interstate 40 across the Mississippi River. Ragityman (talk) 15:43, 4 January 2011 (UTC)
 * Just for clarification, there are four bridges which cross the big muddy at Memphis. The Interstate 40 bridge (its official name eludes me at the moment) crosses just south of the Pyramid Arena near the north end of downtown Memphis.  The south bridges are grouped together: two railroad trestles and an automobile/truck bridge.  The third of these carries I-55 and U. S. Highways 51, 61, 63, 64, 70, 78, and 79 across.  One of the railroad bridges also carried auto traffic and small trucks at one time, in an interesting manner.  The auto traffic would approach on each side of the highway, westbound on the north side and eastbound on the south.  At each terminus, the traffic would drop down onto a wooden platform below the train tracks,  one lane in each direction.  I believe this to be the oldest of the three bridges.  The steel supports for these lower platforms are still evident, and, in the 70's - 80's, when I first noticed this feature, the concrete approach ramps were still in existence at the west end in Arkansas.  Some of the wooden platform was still there as well, as I remember.  My parents remembered crossing it in a car.  If a train happened to pass at the same time, it would travel overhead.  They didn't enjoy it at all, but at the time, it was the only way across at Memphis.  Probably not a unique arrangement but the only one of its type of which I am aware.  I believe this to be the Harahan bridge, but it may be the newer, I-55 bridge, the southern-most of these three.
 * Ragityman (talk) 12:36, 5 January 2011 (UTC)
 * I've now found the H~ Bridge article. Duh!  Ragityman (talk) 14:49, 5 January 2011 (UTC)