Comer bridge despite an agreement in principle between the Comer Bridge Foundation and the demolition company to allow the demolition funds to be diverted to preserve the bridge, and an agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard not to require demolition of the memorial structure if Coast Guard requirements are met. Although Federal law does not require it, ALDOT insists that the bridge ownership must be a government entity. Efforts are in progress to persuade the city and county governments to form a tourism authority to promote tourism, as well as assume ownership of the bridge. The Land Trust of North Alabama has expressed interest in exploring the possibility of including the B. B. Comer Bridge as part of a hiking/biking trail between Huntsville and Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The Braxton Bragg Comer Bridge carries Alabama highway 35 over the Tennessee River at Scottsboro. It was nominated by the Comer Bridge Foundation because this rare engineering achievement is scheduled for demolition by the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) once it is replaced later this year. ALDOT remains committed to the demolition of the Comer bridge despite an agreement in principle between the Comer Bridge Foundation and the demolition company to allow the demolition funds to be diverted to preserve the bridge, and an agreement with the U.S. Coast Guard not to require demolition of the memorial structure if Coast Guard requirements are met. Although Federal law does not require it, ALDOT insists that the bridge ownership must be a government entity. Efforts are in progress to persuade the city and county governments to form a tourism authority to promote tourism, as well as assume ownership of the bridge. The Land Trust of North Alabama has expressed interest in exploring the possibility of including the B. B. Comer Bridge as part of a hiking/biking trail between Huntsville and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Comer Bridge (2143 ft.) is a “Warren Through Steel Truss” constructed by the Kansas City Bridge Company for the Alabama State Bridge Corporation between 1929 and 1931. It was named as a memorial to B. B. Comer, Alabama’s governor from 1907 to 1911. It is the only bridge remaining of 15 built by the state corporation. It is on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. In 2013, the bridge was named one of the top ten "Top Rated Unique Savable Structures" by BridgeHunter.com. In 2015, the National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded a Gwyn Turner Preservation Fund grant of $5,000 to the Comer Bridge Foundation for an economic impact study.
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Albat
9/8/2022 02:13:38 am
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Alabama's Endangered Historic LandmarksEach year since 1994, Alabama Heritage has highlighted threatened historic sites throughout Alabama. The “Places in Peril” list has identified more than 215 imperiled historic resources throughout the state, and is compiled by the Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation. The locations highlight the results of deferred maintenance, perceived obsolescence, development pressures, and lack of funding—forces that now more than ever threaten our cultural legacy. But awareness is a powerful force, too, and can cultivate a renewed determination to be responsible stewards of our heritage. For more information, visit the AHC or the ATHP websites. Alabama Heritage is proud to bring to you a selection of the places designated as perilous. Please keep your comments to information relevant to the featured place in peril. Alabama Heritage reserves the right to delete any comment that we deem inappropriate. Archives
May 2023
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