About St. Francis River Bridge (Madison, Arkansas)
Bridges, Architecture, Interesting Places, Other Bridges
The St. Francis River Bridge carries United States Route 70 over the St. Francis River near Madison in St. Francis County, Arkansas, United States. It consists of three Parker through trusses, each 162 feet (49 m) long, and a swing bridge span 230 feet (70 m) long. With approaches, the bridge has a total length of 921 feet (281 m). The swing span is mounted on a central pier, and is rotated by two workers operating a large hickory handle. The bridge was built in 1932-33, with the swing span design made to accommodate the demands of the United States War Department that the river remain navigable by military vessels. The bridge is one of three swing-span bridges in the state. It is likely that the swinging mechanism has never been used.
