Phantoms of Witch's Bridge - Grand Island, Nebraska

On the outskirts of Grand Island, Nebraska there is a bridge that has become legendary over the years.  This bridge is part of the "Nine Bridges Road" and has it's torrid beginnings long ago when a it is said that a woman dwelled in a house at one end of the bridge.  It was suspected that she along with some of her neighbors were involved in witchcraft or devil worship and at the discretion of the townspeople, she was tied to a stake and her house set to go up in flames along with her.  This bridge has since become known as "Witch's Bridge" and it seems that things on and around this bridge have not been right since.  Many believe it is cursed or haunted by the spirits who died there.

"Witch's Bridge" near Grand Island, Nebraska is said to be haunted by many spirits who met their end there

In the days when the railroad maintained a bridge that ran adjacent to the current standing structure, there was a terrible freak accident that occurred there.  One winter, the railroad workers were trying to free an ice jam that had built up against the rail bridge.  Some local residents came out and stood on the adjacent road bridge to watch the explosions when the workers used dynamite to blast the ice away.  In one of the blasts, the bridge that the onlookers were standing on shook violently and a woman holding an infant stumbled and fell.  Her baby toppled over the side of the bridge and into the turbulent, freezing water.  Workers and onlookers searched for days and the infant was never found.  The mother of the infant from that point on, spent long days searching the river banks for her child to no avail.

Piers from the old rail bridge still remain next to "Witch's Bridge" in Grand Island, Nebraska

As the years have passed by, visitors to the area say that on occasion if you stop on the "Witch's Bridge", your car will shut off.  You can then hear the faint sound of a woman sobbing.  Many have claimed to visit the bridge on a whim for a quick scare at night, and their car engines really did shut off. Some believers say that if you leave your car and venture around, the ghost of the witch will try and pull you over the side.  For some reason over the years there have been an unusual number of fatal car accidents on "Witch's Bridge".

"Witch's Bridge" part of the "Nine Bridges Road" near Grand Island, Nebraska

At one end of "Witch's Bridge" where it is said that the so called witch was actually burned, there are some unusual activities that have taken place here.  Some say an abandoned house is located near by that is supposedly haunted.  Eyewitnesses have seen a rocking chair that sits on the front porch rocking back and forth on a windless night.  And many claim to have seen a phantom of sorts chasing them away.  There was one report of a couple of people who had seen some strange things after their car had stalled on the bridge.  They got out to investigate and witnessed the rocking chair starting to rock on its own, then shortly a cold breeze overwhelmed them.  Scared, they jumped back in their car and it started so they speed away, only to feel a thump like they had hit something.  They stopped and got out to see what they had hit.  Upon investigating, they found a dead dog in the middle of the bridge that they had not seen in the headlights.  They quickly jumped back in the car and sped off.  Looking back, one of them saw the dog.  Only it was standing in the middle of the road, eyes glowing red glaring at them!

If you visit "Witch's Bridge" near Grand Island, Nebraska at night, be prepared to meet something out of the ordinary

If you are in Grand Island, Nebraska and decide to take a drive on Nine Bridges Road some evening, be sure to respect the private property, but mostly watch out for the Phantoms of Witch's Bridge!