Category: Bridge Tour

TYB: Kelso Drawbridge in Washington

Seattle Now & Then: Kelso’s Allen Street drawbridge, 1909

Located near Seattle , this wooden drawbridge was unique for its high towers and double-leaf spans. Sadly, the 1909 bridge was the focus of a major bridge disaster on January 9, 1923, just as its replacement bridge was being built. Details on the disaster can be found here in the article. It also includes a video and newspaper clippings about it.

🌉 BHC

Postcard Friday Nr. 30

Postcard Friday pays tribute to all the men and fathers out there this week. Yesterday was Father’s Day here in Germany, but the informal term for that day is Männertag. And in tradition, men hang out with friends, enjoying a good beer, but also performing stunts and causing trouble. 😉 This postcard of a bridge spanning an arm of the River Rhine near Rhinefall, Switzerland represents a place of gathering, but also a place where one could (but should not) perform a dare of any sorts. If you can identify the dare one should not do, then you wiser than you think. If you can spread the word to others on not doing that, then you are kinder and a more loving person than you think.

The bridge itself appears to be a Howe truss bridge with riveted connections, whose build date goes back to the early 1900s. The structure is more likely gone due to age, but it did provide a splendid view of the river and the mountains nearby.

For more on why Father’s Day is always celebrated on Thursdays in Germany and not on Sundays like in the States, click on the window below:

Father’s Day In Germany- It’s NOTHING like American Father’s Day!

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And now the answer to last week’s question as to where this bridge is located:

Postcard Friday Nr. 29

The answer to the question is:

NONE OF THE CITIES: The bridge is located in Wilhelmshaven in Lower Saxony!

The bridge in the postcard is the Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge, spanning the harbor in WIlhelmshaven. It was designed by Anton Rieppel and built by the German construction firm MAN in Gustavsburg (near Mainz) in 1905-07. It was one of the first swing bridges in the country where both spans swung open to allow ships to pass. The double-span swing bridge was employed in many parts of northern Germany spanning canals and harbors between 1880 and 1960, including one built by Friedrich Voss in 1913, the same time as when he built the famous Rendsburg High Bridge for rail and traffic. The Kaiser Wilhelm Bridge is the last structure of its kind in service today and has been recognized as a technical monument.

Information here: https://www.wilhelmshaven.de/Tourismus/Sehenswuerdigkeiten/13376-Kaiser-Wilhelm-Br%C3%BCcke-.html

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And while we’re on the same page regarding the Rendsburg High Bridge, a fire broke out at the bridge on Monday shutting down rail traffic. Details in the article here:

Fire damages Rendsburg High Bridge, Rail Service Shut Down until Further Notice

We are pleased to announce that the damage was minimal and repairs were undertaken right away before reopening the bridge a day later. Information via link below:

Link:

https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/Nach-Feuer-in-Rendsburg-Zuege-rollen-wieder-ueber-Hochbruecke,feuer5960.html

The bridge and rail line are both now open. A sigh of relief for commuters, bridge lovers and locals alike. 🙂

Saulsbury Bridge Recreation Area

Saulsbury Bridge Recreation Area – Iowa

Here’s a travel tip that one of the writers explored a couple years ago. It’s located in Muscatine County in Iowa over the Cedar River. The bridge itself was built by the King Bridge Company and James Locke in 1881. After a fire destroyed all but two spans in 1977, it was converted into a fishing pier. Here’s a look at what the area has to offer. You can also find more information in the link below:

Link: https://muscatinecountyconservation.com/mccb-areas/saulsbury-bridge-recreation-area/

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BHC Pic of the Week Nr. 287

The Motorway 72 between Chemnitz and Leipzig is almost completed, yet we are starting to see many fancy bridges crossing the motorway that will be 169 km long from Hof to Leipzig when construction ends by 2026. Apart from the tall viaducts built in the 1930s between Hof (Bavaria) and Chemnitz, we are seeing tall modern viaducts and welded metal bridges popping up in the past decade.

Apart from the one at the interchange with the Motorway 38 south of Leipzig (see my previous article by clicking here), we have this “shoe-shaped” cantilever Warren truss bridge located near Penig, about 15 km north of Chemnitz. The truss design was constructed in 2014 and serves as a pedestrian crossing. This bridge is one of the most attractive of the new overpasses along this stretch of Motorway, yet having to photograph it is difficult with all the traffic that accompanies travel. One has to photograph it from the car or simply pull over to get a shot. Both have setbacks, with the latter option being dangerous because of the high volume of traffic combined with the risk of an accident.

I chose the lesser of the evils with a drive-by shooting, which is best done from a passenger seat. Taken with a Smartphone, one has an opportunity to take multiple shots, assuming the phone does not take its time with the focusing. Nevertheless, one can see its entire length and its design contraption. It’s not the best shot but one that shows its true colors, despite the emmission tags and smudging on the windows.

😉

Michigan’s First Network Tied-Arch Bridge

Michigan’s first network tied-arch bridge stands on Second Avenue in Detroit. It replaced a standard girder overpass erected in 1954 as part of the comprehensive rebuild of Interstate 94 in the area.

This distinctive design was selected for its unobstructed span, negating the necessity for central support in the expanded section of Interstate 94. This arrangement facilitated uninterrupted traffic flow on Interstate 94 and at its intersection with M-10. Equally notable was its assembly process: the bridge was constructed off-site and transported to the location using self-propelled, self-leveling mobile carriers.

The newly constructed Second Avenue Bridge opened for vehicular traffic on October 27, 2023.

The article is courtesy of Sherman Cahal; you can find more photos on this new structure by clicking here.

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Postcard Friday Nr. 29

This week’s Postcard profile also features a Pop Quiz. This bridge is located in Germany and is the only structure of its kind that exists. It features a centilever truss span that functions as a swing bridge, where the spans swing outwards to allow ships to pass. Such bridges existed between 1880 and 1960, including another span in Rendsburg over the Baltic-North Sea Canal. That span was built in 1895 by Friedrich Voss and was in service until its replacement with a tunnel in 1960.

Yet this bridge is not found in Schleswig-Holstein. Where is this structure located?

A. Bremerhaven

B. Hamburg

C. Kiel

D. Berlin

E. Rostock

F. Magdeburg

G. None of them

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The answer can be found here. Good luck and remember: Your Bridge Matters! 🙂 ❤

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