Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge

Williamson County, Tennessee's Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge was constructed in 1993, and was officially opened in 1994. The bridge spans a total of 1,572 feet, carrying the Natchez Trace Parkway over State Highway 96. The bridge is designed with two arches, making it one of the most unique bridges in Tennessee. The bridge is also unique because it does not use spandrel columns. Instead the weight of the bridge is distributed evenly at the crown of each of the arches. Each of the arches, and the deck were constructed using the balanced cantilever method. Since the bridge's construction, it has won numerous awards. In 1995, it won the Presidential Award for Design Excellence. In 1996, the bridge won an Award of Merit from the Federal Highway Administration. Sadly, in recent years, the Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge has been dubbed a "suicide bridge." The bridge is equipped with only thirty-two inch railings. This factor alone makes it easy for individuals to jump off into the valley below in order to take their own lives. In 2011, suicide prevention signs were posted on the bridge, however as of 2018, at least thirty-two people have taken their lives by jumping off the bridge. Suicide awareness groups and the National Park Service are currently working together to develop a solution in order to make the bridge safer. In twenty-four years, the Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge will be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge is an engineering marvel and is a beautiful aspect of the Tennessee landscape. However the bridge's status as a "suicide bridge" casts a grim shadow over it, especially for the family's of the thirty-two individuals that have taken their own lives by jumping off this bridge.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

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