Junction Bridge, which crossed the Arkansas River from Little Rock to North Little Rock, was built in 1884 as a railroad bridge. The Little Rock end of it was actually anchored in “the little rock,” the outcropping that gave the town its name. In 1885, a second level was built for pedestrian and wagon traffic. In 1970, it was rebuilt with a lift span (instead of a swing span) to accommodate river traffic. And in 2008, it was made into a pedestrian bridge. The lift span was set permanently in place 38 feet above the river, with stairs on both ends. There’s also an elevator, but I have never seen it used. Today, there was a guy sprawled on a mattress in front of the elevator door, so …
After touring the Old State House Museum, I crossed the river on the Junction Bridge to get to the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum. It was a warm, sticky day, but there was a breeze over the river, so I had no reason to regret my decision.
Looking back at Little Rock from the bridge.
While I was crossing the Junction Bridge, the trolley was crossing on the next bridge upstream.
The bride from the deck of the submarine at the maritime museum.
