After 15 years of planning and seven years of construction, the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge opened to traffic on December 13, 2003. The bridge was named for Bill Emerson, an eight-term congressman who championed legislation that led to construction of this cable-stayed bridge, whose floor is held in place by cables suspended from a strong tower. At the time of its construction, it was one of only 34 cable-stayed bridges in the world. The new structure replaced the first bridge, which served the community for 75 years. The portal of the old bridge has been preserved as a popular spot for residents and visitors, with mounted binoculars for a close-up view of the Emerson Memorial Bridge, river, and more. More than 170 miles of cable hold up the flooring, which consists of 250 million pounds of concrete with 13 million pounds of reinforced steel in the concrete, and the bridge's total weight is estimated at 266 million pounds.