Chickamauga National Military Park Tour Roads, Connecting Roadway, Alexander's Bridge Road, between Alexander's Bridge and Slough Bridge, Fort Oglethorpe

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA-95-B. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Connecting Roadway, Alexander's Bridge, (HAERNo. GA-95-A), and Gordon's Slough Bridge (HAER No. GA-95-C) are contributing features to the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. The National Military Park is listed on the National Register or Historic Places as a discontiguous historic district. Alexander's Bridge, Gordon's Slough Bridge and the Connecting Roadway are contributing features of the Commemorative Period. There has been a bridge spanning West Chickamauga Creek in this location dating back to the Battle of Chickamauga.

The wooden structure comprising Alexander's Bridge, which may have been present at the time of the battle, was badly deteriorated and replaced in with a new wooden bridge built on limestone abutments under the authority of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Commission. In this wooden bridge was replaced with the current steel pony truss structure using the stone abutments already in place, having been constructed in as part of the initial park development. Slough Bridge was built in with limestone used for the abutments. It is not known if a bridge existed at Gordon's Slough during the time of the Battle. Description: A raised road-bed was in place as early as when the existing stone abutments at Alexander's Bridge were constructed.

The elevated road-bed was expanded and raised to its current configuration at the time of the construction of Gordon's Slough Bridge in The elevated roadway is constructed of dry-laid limestone and connects the south end of Alexander's Bridge with the west end of Gordon's Slough Bridge, making a gradual ninety-degree turn to the east in the process. The elevated roadway is also present at the approach to Alexander's Bridge from the north-northeast and the approach to Gordon's Slough Bridge from the south-southeast. There is a clean joint between the south abutment of Alexander's Bridge, while the abutments of Gordon's Slough Bridge are tied into the elevated roadway, being of similar materials and construction.

History: No records describing the design or construction of the roadway were found, however it is likely that Edward E. Betts, Park Engineer, oversaw its design and construction. Historic photographs of the construction of Gordon's Slough Bridge in indicate that the roadway was probably expanded and raised at this time. CHICKAMAUGA NATIONAL MILITARY PARK TOUR ROADS, CONNECTING ROADWAY HAERNo. GA-95-B (page 2)

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA-95-B. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Ezell, David, Historic American Engineering Record. Chickamauga National Military Park Tour Roads, HAER No. GA-95. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service HABS/HAER/HALS/CRGIS Division, Washington, Paige, John C. Administrative history of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. Denver Service Center, Denver, Colorado, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Report of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Commission. U.S. War Department, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park Commission. Washington