Bridge Preservation DVD now on sale!

Have you ever wondered how metal truss bridges go from becoming candidates for the scrap metal pile like this one……

Kirby Flynn Bridge in Palo Alto County, Iowa when it was closed to traffic in 1998.

Close-up of the damage to the railings and the rusting railings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

……to a newly restored bridge like this?

The Kirby Flynn Bridge after its restoration in 2010

Oblique photo of the bridge

Or do you know of a bridge that is in dire need of restoration like the following candidates below, but…..

Ohl Street Bridge in Greenville (Mercer County), Pennsylvania. A 1909 Canton Bridge Company structure that has been closed since 2009 and awaiting demolition

Carlton Bridge in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. An 1880 Columbia Iron Works two-span Pratt through truss bridge that was closed recently for structural reasons

 …neither you nor the owners of the bridge (whether it is the state or the county) have the knowledge needed to do the job? It is very difficult to maintain these precious vintage structures that have been ruling American highways for at least a century and a half. While many local and state agencies would rather prefer demolition and replacement with a bland concrete structure over just fixing the bridge and reopening it again, there is an alternative to this standard procedure, and Julie Bowers of Workin Bridges  released a DVD recently on how to rehabilitate the bridge.

Based on the McIntyre Bridge in Iowa and the Piano Bridge in Texas, Workin’ Bridges: Historic Truss Bridge Restoration provides you with an in depth look at how truss bridges can be rehabilitated through disassembly, sandblasting and replacing parts, and reassembly within a time span that is shorter than it takes to fully replace the bridge outright, and at a fraction of the cost of a new bridge. A summary of how the Piano Bridge was rehabilitated can be found via article here. You can purchase the DVD for $10 plus shipping and handling with proceeds going to Workin Bridges. For more information on the DVD, if you want to purchase it or if you would like to contribute to the organization, please contact Julie Bowers using the information available here.

The DVD is also useful for those wanting to restore truss bridges in Europe as many are due for repairs or replacement.

Each truss or bowstring arch bridge has a unique feature and history that everyone deserves to know about. Let’s preserve our past for future generations to come.