News 12 Then: Happy Birthday Walnut Street Bridge

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Thursday marked the 125th birthday of the Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga.

John Shearer reports at the Chattanoogan that five thousand people attended the opening ceremony on February 18, 1891.

Not nearly that many showed up 25 years ago to sing Happy Birthday to the landmark on its Centennial.

But they did come.

After decades of service that included vehicles and even a streetcar line, the bridge was shutdown in the late 1970s.

By 1991, is was a rusted, dismal looking hulk.

But work would start that year to bring it back to life.

It would take 2 more years before it was ready.

We have included a story that aired in November of 1991 on the beginning of the work, and predictions of how the new bridge would serve the city.