Just how old is the damaged Gay Street Bridge? You can't find many older in Tennessee

The Gay Street Bridge, at 126 years old , is the oldest bridge that crosses the Tennessee River in Knoxville and the sixth-oldest bridge in Tennessee that's still in use.

The bridge, which normally supports 7,000 drivers a day, has been closed indefinitely since June 25. Inspectors found several distorted and misaligned steel pieces .

But how does the Gay Street Bridge compare to other old bridges in Tennessee?

Only five Tennessee bridges still in use are older

Twenty-six bridges in Tennessee were built before the Gay Street Bridge. The oldest, the Old Stone Bridge in Middle Tennessee, was built in 1841.

Only five bridges older than the Gay Street Bridge are still in use:

• Old Stone Bridge (1841): Davidson County, classified in fair condition by TDOT
• Harrisburg Covered Bridge (1875): Sevier County, fair condition
• King's Mill Bridge (1884): Meigs County, poor condition
• Elizabethton Covered Bridge (1889): Carter County, poor condition
• Blevins Bridge (1889): Carter County, good condition

The Gay Street Bridge is in poor condition, which is the worst ranking, according to data provided by TDOT.

Other bridges older than the Gay Street Bridge have been replaced, and the original structures either were relocated or destroyed.

The Gay Street Bridge is the second oldest crossing the Tennessee River in the state

The Tennessee River flows southwest through East Tennessee into Chattanooga, then crosses into Alabama and forms the border with Mississippi before returning to Tennessee and defining the boundary between West and Middle Tennessee.

Several other bridges cross the waterway, but only one is as old as Knoxville's. The Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga, completed in 1891, is the oldest nonmilitary bridge in use in the state today.

The Walnut Street Bridge is similar to the Gay Street Bridge because they're both truss bridges.

The Walnut Street Bridge served pedestrian and vehicle traffic for 87 years before age and increasing repair costs forced its closure in 1978. It has been open as a pedestrian bridge since 1993.

How old is the Henley Street Bridge?

Downtown Knoxville's other iconic bridge connects downtown to South Knoxville via Chapman Highway. It's a reinforced concrete arch bridge with lateral arches.

It's much younger than the Gay Street Bridge. It opened in 1931, making it only 93 years old.

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Just how old is the damaged Gay Street Bridge? You can't find many older in Tennessee