The Rotating Span Bridge at Selma

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The first bridge across the Alabama at Selma was built by Milwaukee bridge works at a cost to the city of $55,000. The bridge was opened in 1885. A toll was collected until 1900 when the county purchased it for $65,000 and made the crossing free.

The high truss camel back style bridge consisted of a 265 ft. approach span, two 200 ft. fixed spans and a rotating span of 228 ft. The rotating span was manually operated by a bridge tender to allow steam boat passage along the river. The bridge tender was furnished a house for his family that still stands at the end of Washington street.

In 1940 the Edmond Pettus Bridge was opened and the rotating bridge was dismantled.



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