There’s Something Incredibly Unique About This One Swinging Bridge In Mississippi

The Byram Swinging Bridge connects Hinds and Rankin Counties. The bridge was built as a collaboration between merchants in Byram and Rankin. Folks in Byram purchased the swinging bridge kit, and Rankin County sawmills provided the lumber.

The Byram Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It’s also registered as a Mississippi landmark and was also designated as a civil engineering landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Not only is it an icon in the area, it’s also been recently renovated. Since the renovation, something remarkable is happening on this bridge.

The Byram Swinging Bridge was built in 1905.

Residents in the area remember driving across the bridge when it would actually swing. It’s long been a popular spot for walking and swimming. Tales of hauntings on the bridge made it a popular spot for teenagers to congregate on dark, weekend nights.

After decades of use, the bridge began to decay.

It was deemed unsafe for travel and was closed to traffic in 1987.

In 2013, work began to restore and convert the bridge to a footbridge.

The two-phase renovation project was complete in 2015. The city of Byram celebrated with a festival, which has become an annual event.

After the bridge renovation was completed, something strange began happening.

Padlocks started appearing on the bridge’s railing cables. They’re called love locks, and they’re an old tradition that dates back to Serbia during World War I.

The sweethearts’ names are inscribed or painted on the locks, then they’re fastened to the bridge, and the key is thrown away (often into the river below). The tradition symbolizes unbreakable love.

Some cities see these locks as vandalism, and in many places, locking your love lock to a bridge is illegal.

Other, more romantically-inclined towns see an opportunity for both romantic love and love of community.

In May, 2016, Byram Mayor Richard White said that locks were welcome on the Byram Swinging Bridge. The mayor fondly remembers the bridge from his own childhood. He said, "This is the kind of stuff you need to remember. It certainly represents a love for each other but it's the bridge itself too."

Want to see this bridge for yourself? Visit Byram and walk across the bridge with your sweetheart. You can also attend the upcoming Byram Swinging Bridge Festival, held July 29th and 30th.

Learn about even more of Mississippi’s bridges in this list of 16 Amazing Bridges In Mississippi.