Patton Island Bridge

Completed in October 2002, the new $47.1 million, six-lane Patton Island Bridge over the Tennessee River will reduce congestion and improve safety and the quality of life in northwest Alabama. Prior to the opening of the new bridge, access across the river in the Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia areas was limited to a four-lane bridge completed in the 1930s and a narrow two-lane connector across Wilson Dam. Crashes on either of these older facilities created major disruption to traffic flow across the river. Plans for the new bridge began in 1974 with a study to determine the need for another river crossing in the area. In October 1994, construction began with the piers for the bridge. Subsequent projects every 2 to 3 years added the roadway decking and approaches. The completed Patton Island Bridge is actually two separate structures. One carries three lanes of northbound traffic and an attached pedestrian/bike pathway, while the other carries three lanes of southbound traffic. The bridges span the Tennessee River, Florence Canal, and Patton Island. The structures are 1,360 meters (4,456 feet) long, 18 meters (58 feet) wide, and rise 29 meters (94 feet) above the water.