No more cars and trucks on Gay Street Bridge

By Mike Steely

Senior Writer

steelym@knoxfocus.com

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon held a press conference recently and announced some sad news, especially for the growing South Knoxville waterfront. The historic 127-year-old Gay Street Bridge is being permanently closed to car and truck traffic because of some serious structural problems.

Kincannon said that about $2 million will go into stabilizing the span for the use of pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Eventually, with future federal, state and local funding, a new bridge may be constructed. She said that safety comes first and the historic bridge may be open to bike and walking traffic by the end of the year.

The Gay Street Bridge, built in 1898, has been closed since June of 2024. The structure was called “an iconic part of the city” by Mayor Kincannon.

The bridge spans the Tennessee River at the site of a Civil War pontoon bridge built by Union General Ambrose Burnside. That temporary bridge washed away in 1867 and a covered bridge opened in 1875 but was destroyed by a tornado.  It was replaced by the Saulpaw Howe truss bridge that stood until 1898 and was demolished with the completion of the Gay Street Bridge.

The bridge was built to handle trolley and vehicle traffic and greatly helped the expansion and growth of South Knoxville. It was closed for repair from 2001 to 2004 but failed a recent state inspection. The bridge may possibly be opened for EMS vehicles and Knoxville Area Transit buses.

Access to South Knoxville from downtown is available over the Henley Street Bridge and the James White Parkway Bridge.