Dauphin Island Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gordon Persons Bridge |
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View of the bridge from SR-193.
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| Coordinates | 30°17′32″N 88°07′48″W / 30.2921°N 88.1300°W |
| Carries | 2 lanes of  SR 193 |
| Crosses | Gulf Intracoastal Waterway |
| Locale | Dauphin Island, Alabama |
| Other name(s) | Dauphin Island Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 17,814 feet (5,430 m) |
| Longest span | 400 feet (122 m) |
| Clearance below | 83 feet (25 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1982 |
The Gordon Persons Bridge, also known as the Dauphin Island Bridge, is an important bridge in Alabama. It helps people travel to Dauphin Island from the mainland. This bridge carries a two-lane road, Alabama State Route 193, for about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers).
The bridge crosses over the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. This waterway is like a special water highway for boats. At this spot, the bridge separates the Mississippi Sound on one side from Mobile Bay on the other. The bridge is named after Seth Gordon Persons, who was the 46th governor of Alabama.
A Bridge with History
The first bridge connecting to Dauphin Island opened a long time ago, on July 2, 1955. But in 1979, a very strong storm called Hurricane Frederic hit the area. Sadly, the hurricane destroyed the original bridge.
A new bridge was built to replace it. This new bridge opened in 1982. It was made using a special method with precast concrete segments. These are like giant LEGO blocks of concrete that are made somewhere else and then put together.
The main part of this new bridge was quite special. It was the first time a bridge made with precast concrete segments had a main span as long as 400 feet (122 meters). A "span" is the distance between two supports of the bridge.
