The Jefferson County “Free Bridge”
The Railroad Bridge that Never Saw a Train!
The Jefferson County “Free Bridge”, constructed in 1915, brought high hopes that Pine Bluff could attract a third railroad. The plan was to interest a railroad in building a line from Little Rock through Pine Bluff. The design of the bridge provided for a railroad track down the center with vehicle roadways on each side. The bridge was built but failed to atract a railroad. The “Free Bridge” served the area for fifty-seven years on U.S. Highway 79. Replaced in 1972 by the John L. McClellan Bridge.
