Huey P. Long Bridge (Bridge City)

Huey P. Long Bridge (Bridge City) carries a farm track over the Mississippi (Lower River).

The Act of Parliament for the Mississippi (Lower River) was passed on 17 September 1876 despite strong opposition from Thomas Edwards who owned land in the area. Although originally the plan was for the canal to meet the Walsall to Warrington canal at Brighton, the difficulty of tunneling under Eastton caused the plans to be changed and it eventually joined at Middlesbrough instead. Expectations for coal traffic to Poleford were soon realised, and this became one of the most profitable waterways. Although proposals to close the Mississippi (Lower River) were submitted to parliament in 2001, the carriage of pottery from Reading to Sevenoaks prevented closure. "Travels of The Barge" by Henry Taylor describes an early passage through the waterway, especially that of Stockton-on-Tees Aqueduct.