Month: August 2020

Re-restored: 1892 Holliday Road bridge — Down the Road

I thought for sure this bridge was a goner after a too-large tractor left it a twisted wreck. But this 1892 Pratt through truss bridge on Holliday Road in Boone County, Indiana, was rebuilt and it looks as good as ever. It had previously been restored in 2007-2009, making this its second restoration in about…

Re-restored: 1892 Holliday Road bridge — Down the Road

The Grafton Bridge — bushboys world

The word prompt from Nancy’s Photo a Week Challenge: Bridges “The Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Clarence River Bridge have much in common. They were both completed in 1932, both were engineering marvels of their time and both linked road and rail from north to south. Prior to devoting himself to the Harbour Bridge, J.J.C. […]

The Grafton Bridge — bushboys world

Pop Quiz: The Number of Bridge Spans

Photos taken in August 2020

Our next Wartime Bridge takes us to the village of Dömitz. The town is located on the River Elbe in the German state of Mecklenburg-Pommerania (MV) and is known for its lone crossing that connected MV and Lower Saxony, the Dömitz Elbe River Bridge.

While there are two crossings that exist, our focus is on the railroad bridge, which was built in 1873 and at the time of its opening, it was the longest bridge in Germany, with a length of just under one kilometer (exact: 986 meters). World War II and the subsequent division into East and West Germany- including the infamous border, doomed the structure for all that is left are 16 pony truss spans on the Lower Saxony side. All totaling 660 meters from its portal to the very last span before reaching the river.

Question to the forum:

Before writing more about the structure’s history here’s a pop quiz:

How many spans did the Dömitz Railroad Bridge have before it was bombed during World War II?

The answer will come next week. Good luck! 🙂

Ocean to Ocean Bridge – Connecting a Cross-Country Highway — Journeys with Johnbo

Yuma, Arizona. A truss bridge that spans the Colorado River at Yuma is the final highway bridge to connect a road between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Construction completed in 1915, and in 1926, the highway became part of U.S. Route 80, the primary east-west transcontinental highway in the depression era. For a time, the […]

Ocean to Ocean Bridge – Connecting a Cross-Country Highway — Journeys with Johnbo

Fly train through Wuppertal

Although not really considered a bridge or viaduct per se, one of the places that is recommended is the city of Wuppertal in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and its prized Schwebebahn. Completed in 1901, the Bahn features a “flying” train that hangs from the track above. It was only slightly damaged during the bombings of World War II and was restored to its original form after the war ended, with only a few minor replacements. This guest column looks at the history of the Schwebebahn and how it has adapted to the changes that has occurred in Wuppertal since the end of the war 75 years ago. A video of the Bahn is included- just click on the link. Enjoy! 🙂

Architecture Here and There

View of downtown Wuppertal from the city’s famous “flying train.” (MoMA)

This old video, just over two minutes in length, takes viewers through the western German city of Wuppertal, population 354,382 (almost double that of Providence), on a “flying”  or “floating” train a year after its completion in 1901. The Schwebebahn is a suspension railway, a monorail hanging from tracks upheld by a system of bridge girders reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower. I almost wanted to call this post “Stairway to Heaven” because the cityscape through which the trams run is as lovely as urbanism gets. The tight-knit townhouse frontages wind with the curvature of the Wupper River, along which much of the train runs. Would that the video were longer! Would that the experience could be relived in the city today!

Alas, it cannot be. Although the Schwebebahn survives, some 40 percent of Wuppertal’s buildings were destroyed by…

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Historic Millbrook Bridge Demolished

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123-year old through truss bridge sent to the scrap yard.

Millbrook, Illinois- The bridge was the last of its kind in the county. It was a perfect fit as a hiking trail, a centerpiece for the village of Millbrook. Now the historic Millbrook Truss Bridge is no more.

Crews demolished the three-span through truss bridge on Monday, thus putting an end to all the talk of saving the structure. At the time of this post, crews are removing the truss parts and the stone piers that had held the structure in place for 123 years. The cost for the bridge removal is expected to be at $476,000 with the county and the forest preserve, where the bridge is located, expected to share the expense.

The Millbrook Bridge was built in 1897. One of the truss spans was replaced in 1910. It had served traffic until its closure to vehicles in 1984 and finally to pedestrians in 2015, following an inspection that deemed the bridge was unsafe for use. Talks of trying to save the bridge by handing over ownership and sharing the costs for rehabilitation failed to bear fruit due to liability concerns, something neither Kendall County, the forest preserve nor the Village of Millbrook were able to afford.

With the Millbrook Bridge gone, there are no more truss bridges in Kendall County and only a handful of historic bridges dating back to the 1920s remain in the county. Yet with the progress on its infrastructure with new roads and fewer railroads in operation, it is expected that the remaining historic bridges will be gone within a decade, thus making the county an HB-free state, one of an ongoing, increasing number of US counties that are following the trend. Sadly though, the new structures in place will be due for rehabilitation in 10-15 years, resulting in the question of whether this senseless progress of modernization was worth the price. It may be the case with the fall of the Millbrook Bridge in the short term. In the long term, one will be asking whether it was necessary.

To view the photos of the (demolition) of the Millbrook Bridge, click here to see the bridge before and after the demolition.

Truck Driver Narrowly Escapes When Missouri Bridge Collapses — Truckers 4 Truckers

Located in Central Missouri, a rural bridge collapsed Monday morning. This was after a semi truck tried to pass it, despite the 5 ton weight limit. According to Missouri Highway Patrol, the bridge was clearly marked with signs warning of the 5 ton weight limit. The average semi truck weighs around 40 tons. Luckily the […]

Truck Driver Narrowly Escapes When Missouri Bridge Collapses — Truckers 4 Truckers

The downed bridge was built in 1898 and was a Pratt through truss

Vincennes: The Lincoln Memorial Bridge — Indiana Transportation History

Few people in American history hold a place as high as Abraham Lincoln. The Kentucky native that became the 16th President of the United States, also spent time living in Indiana before moving on to Illinois, where he would become famous throughout the nation. It was decided that a bridge, supposedly marking the spot where […]

Vincennes: The Lincoln Memorial Bridge — Indiana Transportation History