Charles W. Dean Bridge

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It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the construction and/or completion of the bridge approaches, and more information becomes available on it.

Charles W. Dean Bridge
Carries	4 lanes of I-69 and US 278
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	Arkansas City, Arkansas and Benoit, Mississippi
Design	Cable-stayed bridge
Longest span	1,500 feet (457 m)
Clearance below	85 feet (26 m)
Opening date	Approx 2010
Coordinates	33°37′12″N, 91°08′10″W

The Great River Bridge was the original proposed name for this bridge; the Great River Bridge is also the name of a current bridge carrying US 34 from Iowa to Illinois.

The Charles W. Dean Bridge, known before 1999 as the Great River Bridge, will be a cable-stayed bridge carrying Interstate 69 and US 278 across the Mississippi River between Arkansas City, Arkansas and Benoit, Mississippi. The location and the funding have been approved, however, as of February 1, 2006 construction had not begun. The Arkansas Department of Transportation began land acquisition for the project in October 2006.

Preliminary studies indicate the bridge would be 4.25 miles (6.85 km) long, with one 1500-foot (460 m) cable-stayed span over the main channel of the river supported by two 450-foot (137 m) towers. A cost of $565 million has been estimated.

The structure's name is derived from Charles W. Dean (1927-1998), an engineer from Cleveland, Mississippi who proposed the bridge in 1984. A Mississippi legislative act named the proposed bridge after Dean in 1999.