Five Mile Creek Arch Bridge
Five Mile Creek Arch Bridge is a concrete bridge located in western Jefferson County near McCalla and Bessemer. It sits alongside a newer bridge on Rock Mountain Lakes Road near McWaine Drive in the Red Mountain Heights community. The bridge is near the site where early pioneers crossed Five Mile Creek on the route of the Old Huntsville Road (Bear Meat Cabin Road).
One of the first in Alabama to be constructed with concrete, the bridge was built in 1917 with convict labor from Bessemer. The Federal Government funded the construction with money earmarked for road repair and bridge building.
The bridge was used for more than fifty years, and it was a favorite spot for locals to fish,picnic and swim.
The Five Mile Creek Arch Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
References
- Coleman, William L. (2011) The History of Rock Mountain In Jefferson County, Alabama. Dog Ear Publishing. ISBN 1457507080
- Walker, James H. Things Remembered! Stories about Western Jefferson County, Alabama. Instant Heirloom Books, 2001. ISBN 0-9633197-6-0
External Links
- Rock Mountain Lakes website