The existing US-82 bridge near Greenville is a navigation hazard. The bridge is located on a tight curve in the river with a strong cross-current flowing across the navigation channel near the bridge piers. Navigation through the bridge much like threading the eye of a needle. The new Greenville Bridge is being built about 2,800 feet downriver. It will be located on a straight section of the river with a 1,300 foot span between the 425 foot tall bridge towers.

Various web sites, including the official project web site, claim that this will be the largest cable stay bridge in North America when completed. That claim appears to be incorrect given that the Cooper River Bridge in Charleston, South Carolina, has a span of over 1500 feet and towers that are 575 feet tall. Even the claim of the largest bridge on the Mississippi River will be short-lived. By the time the bridge opens in late 2009, the larger Audubon Bridge in Louisiana will be nearing completion. Despite not being the largest bridge over the river, it is still an impressive structure. The bridge has 2-1/2 miles of elevated roadway. The main structure of the bridge is 2,560 feet long with a 1,378 foot main span and two 591 foot long side spans.

Like the current US-82 bridge just upstream, the new Greenville Bridge will be located almost entirely in Arkansas, including most of the eastern approach road. This is due to the river channel having moved west, but the state line remaining at the location of the old river channel.

As of November, 2006, the bridge is complete. However, construction on the approach roads has just gotten underway. It will take upwards of 3 years to complete the approach roads, so the new river crossing will not be open to traffic until later in 2009. Until then, this is one huge and elegant bridge with both ends suspended 120 feet in the air. An official Mississippi DOT photo of the completed bridge is at the bottom of this page showing the structure as a classic bridge to nowhere.

Update—as of March 2, 2009, the opening of the new Greenville Bridge has been set for July 28, 2010. The old bridge will be demolished shortly after the new bridge opens.

The photo above is the east tower of the Greenville during construction in the summer of 2005. The deck is being installed. As each section of the deck is added to the bridge, it is supported with a stay cable. The vantage point is under the west end of the Humphreys Bridge located just upstream. The photo below is the west bridge tower as seen from behind the levee on the west side of the Mississippi River.

The photo above is looking northeast towards the bridge project from near the levee on the west side of the river. The photo below is looking south at the bridge project from near the US-82 bridge on the west side of the river. The only part of the bridge that is visible from these locations is the tops of the towers.

The photo above is a view of the bridge project from a farm field located outside of the levee system on the west side of the river. The photo below, from the project newsletter, is an aerial view of the bridge project looking to the northeast towards the city of Greenville in the summer of 2006. Once the bridge is completed, it will remain in this state for several years given that the approach roads were not funded until after the bridge was completed.