Mystery Bridge Nr. 195: Anton’s Bridge

Our 195th Mystery Bridge has a pair of stories that accompany this salavaged and reused through truss bridge. The first one was my discovery of this site a quarter century ago. The other was the story of the restaurant. We’ll start with my visit first.

It was March 1998, and my college choir from Concordia College (Moorhead) was on tour through central Minnesota, enroute to Minneapolis and Rochester. St. Cloud was one of the stops on tour and we were travelling along Division Street in Waite Park. I had a nice seat on the left side of the coach when I saw a yellow-covered through truss bridge at Frontage Road. It was surrounded by trees yet I could see part of the truss structure. What I found strange and unusual about it was the fact that it was only a section that was saved and it only served as a gateway to somewhere behind the trees. It turns out that after saving the Route 66 Bird Creek Bridges in Catoosa, Oklahoma by reusing them as entry points at Rogers and Molly’s Landings, salvaging (at least a section of) the bridge has indeed become a norm and a reasonable alternative to demolishing a historic bridge altogether.

This bridge entrance was brought back up on the discussion table in social media recently and I figured the time is ripe to find out more about this structure. According to the information from the Stearns County Museum, this section at Anton’s came from a Camelback through truss bridge that once spanned Sauk River. Sauk River empties into the Mississippi River directly in St. Cloud, but not before passing Anton’s Restaurant and boat dock. The truss bridge had seven panels; its connections were riveted. The Howe portal bracings appear to have been the original. The build date behind the truss bridge is between 1915 and 1930, yet there is no information on the bridge builder. While the museum has pin-pointed the location of the bridge along the Sauk River, the question is where exactly was the bridge prior to its relocation to Anton’s.

Likewise is the date of the bridge’s replacement and the salvaging of this section also unknown. The bridge was most likely replaced during the 1980s, yet because of its historic significance and perhaps the its popularity among locals, a section of the bridge was salvaged and relocated to Anton’s, to be used as the entrance to the site. Why this was done and how this was done remains unknown, but when the section was saved, four truss panels, the portal and the upper portion of the strut bracing were saved, the rest- upper chord and a diagonal beam in the fourth panel were all scrapped.

This leads to the following questions regarding this bridge section at Anton’s:

1. Where along the Sauk River did the bridge originate from?
2. When was the bridge built and by whom?
3. What were the dimensions of the original bridge?
4. When was the bridge replaced?
5. When was this section by Anton’s erected; by whom and why was this done?

To close off this Mystery Bridge article, we have the second story behind this bridge section. It has to do with the restaurant Anton’s itself. The restaurant was part of a series of wooden cabins and a lodge named Woodland Lodge, developed over a century ago. Mr. Brick’s was the name of the restaurant, and the owner had live entertainment for many decades. The restaurant was bought by Anton (Tony) Gaetz and his wife Lorraine in 1973 and that is where the name change took place. While live entertainment was discontinued in the 1980s, the restaurant at the same time offered a full menu to the customers. A lot has changed in the past 50 years, but Anton’s and its history- including the untold stories- has become one of the popular eating places in St. Cloud.

And now this pontist has another reason to add to the list- this Mystery Bridge! The untold story of how this piece got here, unless someone tries to crack the code! 🙂

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Website to Anton’s: https://www.antonsrestaurant.com/

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Special thanks to Carrie Shofner for the photos. 🙂

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BHC Pic of the Week Nr. 166 Tribute to James Baughn

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This week’s Pic of the Week is also an Endangered TRUSS Award candidate and it focuses on a bridge that has been neglected for such long time, and if there is a possibility, it needs a new home. The Bolivia Road Bridge, known by locals as the Lanesville Truss Bridge, is a multiple-span truss bridge, spanning the Sangamon River at the border of Christian and Sangamon Counties. The 620-foot long bridge features a 180-foot pinned connected Parker through truss span, which has ornamental Lattice portal bracings with curved heels; the struts are also lattice. The remaining spans feature a half-hip pony truss span, 19-spans of trestle approaches on the north end and a stringer approach on the south end. The 120-year old bridge, built by J.T. Garrett of St. Louis, has been listed on the National Register since 2004.

Despite the listing on the NRHP, the Bolivia Road Bridge is considered one of the most neglected historic bridges in the country- a “step child” that neither county cares to have on their road system. The bridge has been closed for over a decade and plans had been in place at the same time for a new concrete span, whose expected lifespan is over a century- with no maintenance.  Furthermore, news stories on the bridge’s history has been distorted in newspapers, numerous times, resulting in criticism from the historic bridge community because the story is biased and written from someone who did no research and wrote for the money provided in the coffins of rich people wanting a new bridge at any cost.

Despite all the talk of demolition of the bridge, the structure is still standing. Even after James Baughn took this in 2016, most recent photos have indicated that the bridge is still standing strong- the decking covered in grass- but still standing in tact. The question though is for how long? While the window of opportunity is still open, we need a plan that will include saving and most likely relocating the Bolivia Bridge, getting our hands on the structure before the wrecking crew does. While the bridge is protected by the National Register, it is unknown for how long for pressure is mounting to have it delisted to allow for the demolition to take place. Therefore one needs to find it a new home and soon, be it in state or out of state, as long as the window of opportunity remains open.

If there is a way to find a new home for it or to restore it, feel free to comment, but also address the issue with the local officials and other agencies.

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Endangered TRUSS: The Jefferson Highway Bridge at Okay, Oklahoma

All photos courtesy of Mark W. Brown

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OKAY, OKLAHOMA- There are many historic structures that are endangered because of the need to have a concrete bridge to move traffic from point A to point B. There are some that have been sitting abandoned- many of which for too long and need the attention of the public to save it from its ultimate doom. When I think of the first endangered TRUSS candidate, the first bridge that comes to mind is this one: The Okay Truss Bridge. The bridge spans the old channel of the Verdigris River to the west of the town of Okay in Wagoner County. The structure was first discovered a decade ago and even though it has been abandoned for several decades, records have indicated that the structure was once part of the Jefferson Highway, the second oldest intercontinental highway that was built in 1915 and went from Winnepeg, Canada to New Orleans, cutting through parts of Missouri, Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma in the process.

There is not much information on the bridge’s history except to say that given the materials needed to build the structure, let alone the features, the bridge must have been built between 1910 and 1915, as part of the project to extend the Jefferson Highway through the small community. The bridge features two Parker through truss main spans. Each span features a 3-rhombus Howe Lattice portal bracings with angled heels, latticed struts and V-laced vertical beams. There is also a Pratt pony truss span on each outer end of the bridge. The connections are pinned and the material: steel for the trusses and wood for the decking.

Westernmost pony truss approach span

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The bridge was later bypassed by another structure to the south, as part of the project to rechannel the Verdigris and the truss span has been sitting abandoned and in disarray ever since. The easternmost pony truss span collapsed many years ago and it would take a lot of climbing just to get onto the bridge itself.

The gravest problem though lies with the through truss spans because of a failing pier. It is unknown when and how this occurred, but the center pier is crumbling, causing the end post of the western through truss span to slip.

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While the damage may be minimal when looking at it from a bird’s eye view, when on the bridge, it is far worse than it seems, as the crumbling pier, combined with the sagging of the endpost, is causing the western truss span to lean and twist on its side.

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The twisted metal brought a reminder of one bridge that fell victim to flooding in 1990, which was the Rockport Bridge in Arkansas. Prior to its downfall, flooding in 1987 caused severe damage to the center piers causing the center span to tilt and twist. This is exactly what is happening to the Okay Truss Bridge, and if nothing is done with the truss span, the next flooding may be the bridge’s last.

What can be done to save the truss bridge? The easiest is to take the truss spans off the piers and dismantle them for storage. As it happened with the Bridgeport Bridge in Michigan, the twisted western Parker truss span could be straightened through welding, whereas the trusses in general would need to be sandblasted and repainted. The piers would need to be replaced and because the easternmost pony span is considered a total loss, a replacement span could take its place if one reerects the restored truss span and converts the area on the east end and the island between the old and new channels of the Verdigris into a park area. As this bridge is part of the original Jefferson Highway, research is needed on the structure’s history to nominate it to the National Register.

Oklahoma has seen a big drop in the number of truss bridges in the last two decades, yet efforts are being taken to save what is left of the bridges. There is little doubt that the Okay Truss Bridge can be saved if action is taken to salvage the trusses and rebuild the entire structure, while erecting a park to honor its history. It takes the will of not only the locals but also members of the Jefferson Highway Association to make it happen. Yet time is running out and we’re fighting windmills regarding even saving the truss structure before the next floodwaters. If there is a tiny sense of hope, removing and storing the trusses should be top priority. Afterwards, time and finances could be allotted to restore and rebuild the bridge to its former glory.

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Author’s Note: A big thanks to Mark W. Brown for allowing me to use his pictures for this article.

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BHC Pic of the Week Nr. 103

This week’s Pic of the Week takes us on a road trip to rural Iowa and to this bridge- out in the middle of nowhere. 😉 The Durrow Road Bridge spans Blue Creek in Linn County. The bridge can be seen from I-380 right before exiting at Urbana. It’s about 10 miles northwest of Cedar Rapids. It’s a Parker through truss bridge, built in the 1920s using standardized truss designs and measures that were introduced by the Iowa State Highway Commission (now Iowa DOT). It was relocated to this spot at the T-intersection with Blue Creek Road in 1949 and has been serving farm traffic ever since. It has been well-kept with new paint and consistent maintenance.

This photo was taken during one of two visits in 2011, together with my bridgehunting colleague Quinn Phelan, who has lived in the area for many years and knows most of the bridges both in Linn County as well as in many parts of east central Iowa. Like it is today here in Saxony and parts of the Midwestern US, it was taken on a beautiful blue sunny day with a slight breeze and lots of greenery in the area.

The Durrow Road Bridge is a structure that exemplifies a bridge that was common in rural Iowa and a great photo opp for not only the pontists and photographers, but for people who appreciate what this bridge has to offer.

There are many more photos like this (including some taken by yours truly) which you can click here to see: http://bridgehunter.com/ia/linn/223450/

Enjoy! 😀

 

BHC Pic of the Week Nr. 98

This week’s pic of the week takes us back to 2011 and to Minnesota. This shot was taken of the Long Meadow Bridge from the observation deck of  Mound Springs Park and the Minnesota River Wildlife Refuge on the northern banks of Long Meadow Lake, all located in Bloomington, located south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, known as the Twin Cities.  It was a crystal clear afternoon and I was able to get four of the five Parker through truss spans. Little did I realize is that an airline jet flew low enough over the bridge that it was caught on the camera. It was on its way to land at the Twin Cities Airport. Timing was of the essence, coincidence was gold in this case.  This bridge photo was once the header for the Bridgehunter’s Chronicles on its Areavoices website when it was in operation. The Areavoices site was shut down in April 2018.

Since the photo was taken, the Long Meadow Bridge was rehabilitated and restored to its former glory. It was reopened to traffic in 2016 after two years of restoration and is now integrated into the network of bike trails that runs along the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers and in the Twin Cities Metropolitan area. Access to the bridge can be found through Cedar Park, on the same side as the wildlife refuge and Mound Springs Park. One has to follow Old Cedar Avenue all the way towards the park. That used to be a key highway before the expressway made it obsolete in 1977.  One can see photos of the bridge before and after the restoration as well as additional information on the bridge’s history can be found here.

BHC Pic of the Week Nr. 97

This week’s Pic of the Week takes us to the City of Jena in eastern Thuringia and to this bridge, the Carl Alexander Bridge, which is about seven kilometers to the north of the city. The three-span Parker through truss bridge, built in 1892, spans the River Saale and can be seen high in the air from Dornburg Castle. In either direction, one has a grandiose photographic view- towards the castle from the bridge or from the terrace of the castle. The bridge was imploded before the end of World War II but was subsequentially rebuilt afterwards. It had served traffic until a new bridge on a new alignment opened in the late 1990s and the truss bridge was converted to a bike crossing, serving the Saale Bike Trail. While living in Jena, my wife and I would always use this bridge to cross while biking along the Saale. It was a great treat even to spend a few minutes break at the bridge.

Since 2018 the bridge has undergone an extensive renovation where crews replaced the decking and some truss parts, as well as removed the pack rust on the trusses, repainted the whole structure and made repairs on the bridge’s abutments. We had an opportunity to visit the bridge during our most recent visit. Having moved away from Jena, we wanted to revisit some of the places that held lots of memories in the 19+ years we lived there. This was one of them, especially as the structure was being rehabbed.

As you can see in the pics presented, the bridge looks like new and the rehab is almost finished. The new decking was added and paved. What is missing are the railings. Before the work began, fencing was placed on both sides of the trusses from  the inside to keep people from leaning on the railings, Much of the original railings was as rusty and corroded as the trusses themselves and therefore had to be removed for restoring.  As you can see in the tunnel shot, it looks done, but not just yet.

According to the website, the railings are not the only issue left. The bridge will be lit with LED, making it shine to its glory at night and replacing the yellow sodium lighting that had existed before but emitted an amber color of dystopia that was unwelcoming to visitors.  Furthermore, a bridge park with an info-board on the bridge’s history will be built near the parking lot on the east end. Fundraising is still being done to make this a reality. If you are interested, click here  to donate.

It is unknown when the bridge will reopen, let alone how long it will take for at least the structural work will be done before opening the bridge. Due to the Corona Virus and the restrictions that are in place, it is very unlikely that an opening ceremony will take place this year. This will buy workers more time to finish the work on their „To-Do“ List and have the bridge ready for use again. Although the bridge will re-open in silence, the celebration will most likely happen in 2021 or even 2022, when the bridge is 110 years old. In either case, like with the Corona, patience is the key. Give them time and you will be given time to use it again. Word to the wise.

BHC Newsflyer 9 July, 2019

Merill Road Bridge in George County, Mississippi. Photo taken by James Baughn in 2015

Listen to the podcast with all the headlines and commentary on the UNESCO World Heritage being given to the Ore Mountain region here: https://anchor.fm/jason-smith-bhc19/episodes/BHC-Newsflyer-9-July–2019-e4is4a

 

Merill Road Bridge Restored: http://bridgehunter.com/ms/george/bh44065/

Historic Bridge Head/Gate restored at Alte Brücke in Heidelberg, Germany:

Article: https://www.rheinpfalz.de/lokal/artikel/heidelberg-tor-der-alten-bruecke-erstrahlt-in-neuem-glanz-eineinhalb-jahre-saniert/

Bridge facts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Bridge_(Heidelberg)

Bear Tavern Bridge in New Jersey Relocated- Reused as a decoration to a new crossing

Article: http://mercerme.com/old-jacobs-creek-bridge-at-new-home-on-valley-road/

Bridge facts: http://bridgehunter.com/nj/mercer/bear-tavern/

 

Two Erie Canal Bridges to be Rehabilitated

Article: https://www.wxxinews.org/post/renovation-project-begins-historic-erie-canal-lift-bridges

            Bridge facts (Spencerport): http://bridgehunter.com/ny/monroe/4443230/

            Bridge facts (Fairport): http://bridgehunter.com/ny/monroe/4443220/

 

Key Railroad Crossing in Lausanne to be Rehabilitated with Crawler Cranes: https://www.suedostschweiz.ch/aus-dem-leben/2019-07-05/bruecke-in-lausanne-wird-mit-groesstem-raupenkran-europas-saniert

 

Play depicting Kate Shelley now showing:

https://www.facebook.com/Kate-Shelleys-Bridge-202977743956361/

Information on Kate Shelley:  https://www.kateshelley.com/

 

Ore Mountains Receives World Heritage Award

  News article:https://www.dw.com/en/unesco-declares-erzgebirge-region-a-world-heritage-site/a-49497680

            Author’s comments can be found in the podcast.

 

Call to Action to Save the Route 66 Gasconade Bridge

Photo courtesy of James Baughn

HAZELGREEN, MISSOURI- The days of the Gasconade River Bridge, which used to carry US Hwy. 66 near Hezelgreen may be numbered as it faces demolition scheduled for Spring of 2020 unless a new owner can be found.

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) has placed the 95-year old bridge under a 30-day public review and comment period which is halfway through its time and is scheduled to be completed by July 5th.  The historic bridge was built in 1924 by MODOT and consists of (from west to east) one 8-panel Warren pony truss with alternating verticals, two 8-panel Parker through trusses and one 6-panel Pratt through truss, all totaling a length of 526 feet. The structure is elgible for the National Register of Historic Places because of its design that was in connection with the standardized bridge movement that started in 1910. It is also in connection with Route 66 and its history, as the Highway, connecting Chicago with Los Angeles via Tulsa and Santa Fe was in operation from 1926 until the last segment of the highway was decommissioned in 1979. Interstate 40 had suplanted the stretch of highway where the bridge is located a years earlier.

Currently, the bridge is closed to traffic and a replacement bridge is being built alongside the historic structure, which will carry a frontage road running alongside the interstate once it’s completed next year. The Gasconade Bridge used to carry that road before its closure in 2015.

Attempts to find an owner for the new bridge and restore the structure to its original glory have not been successful due to differences in planning and realization combined with lack of funding for purchase and restoration. Yet the Gasconade Bridge Facebook (click here) has garnered support from over 1200 Followers and many more who are not on the social media scene. There have been rallies and fundraisers lately and a page where you can donate to save the bridge (click here).

Still the clock is ticking and with the resources and options running out, “only a public outcry expressing significant concern and a desire to save the bridge from demolition might help,” according to a statement on the Gasconade Facebook Page. If you would like to help in convincing government officials to save the bridge, here are the contact details you Need to know before you address your support for the bridge:

E-Mail: STIPcomments@modot.mo.gov

Phone: 1-888-275-6636

Mail: Transportation Planning, Program Comments, P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, MO. 65102.

Identify the Gasconade River Bridge in Laclede County, MO. Give them your name and where you live and most importantly, why this bridge is important and is worth saving. It must be personal; all letters copied and pasted will not be acceptable.

To provide you with an incentive to convince MODOT, here’s an interview I did with Rich Dinkela about the bridge a few years ago. Click here to view.  A pair of YouTube videos of the bridge can be found below:

If you have any suggestions to help save the bridge or are interested in buying it, please contact the Group on their Facebook page. A link to their website you will find here.

 

What to do with a HB: The Case of the “Marode” Selbitz Bridge at Blankenstein

As the state of Bavaria is striving for the world record with the construction of the longest pedestrian suspension bridge over the Selbitz Valley near the Thuringian-Bavarian border, one wonders if the project is too ambitious, given the fact that we have too many “marode” bridges in the region. Apart from the problems with the Sparnberg Bridge near the Motorway Crossing at Rudolphstein, we have another crossing that needs attention very badly. And for a good reason too: the bridge is located right at the junction of seven different hiking trails going in each direction!

Source: brueckenweb.de

The Selbitz Bridge is located in the small town of Blankenstein, located on the Thuringian side of the former East-West German border. The bridge spans the river Selbitz and is the last crossing before it empties into the River Saale. For four kilometers between the confluence with the Saale and the junction with Muschwitz Creek, the Selbitz separates the two states  and had once been a military border that kept Blankenstein behind the Iron Curtain and people from fleeing over the river.  In fact, only a kilometer northeast of the confluence between the Selbitz and the Saale, there was a site of an attempted escape to the western half of Germany, which occurred on 6 January, 1989, nine months before the Fall of the Wall. There, three men and a lady tried escaping over the wall erected on the Thuringian side during the night. After going over the first wall and approaching the second inside the “Death Zone,” they were spotted by East German and Russian guards who shot at them. Eventually, one of the men succeeded in swimming across the icy cold Saale into Bavaria; the other three were arrested.  Blankenstein was one of the key escape routes used by many wanting to try and escape to the West until the borders were opened on 9 November, 1989. Some succeeded by breaking through the barriers. Others were arrested and imprisoned. One fatality was recorded in 1964.

After the Fall of the Wall came the demolition of the borders that had separated the two Germanys for 28 years. And with that, the construction of several bridges over the rivers and streams that had been fenced off. The Selbitz Bridge was one of the bridges that was built crossing the former border. Originally a Waddell through truss bridge, the 29-meter long wooden crossing was completed in 1991. With that came an opportunity to reunite Thuringia and Bavaria by foot, providing hikers with an opportunity to explore the Thuringian Forest, the Fichtel Mountains and the Schiefgebirge using seven hiking trails- six here plus another one in the making that runs along the former border that had separated Germany prior to November 1989.  After the construction of the bridge, two monuments, built on each side of the Selbitz, as well as parking areas and a combination tourist information and first aid station were built, where the six current (and one planned) routes meet. The bridge practically served as the key meeting point between two points of junction, one for each state.

The Bavarian monument where seven hiking trails meet, containing information, photos and maps of each trail. This was constructed a couple years ago and can be found off the county road opposite the river from Blankenstein.

Despite the bridge connecting the two states, problems arose in 2015 with the truss structure itself. Due to a combination of weather extremities, wear and tear and the damages caused by the two floods that ravaged Germany- 2002 and 2013, the Selbitz Bridge was considered structurally unsound, getting a grade of 3.4 out of 5 during an annual inspection in 2016. Bridges with a grade of 3 or worse are required to be rehabilitated to make it safer or be completely replaced.  The end result was an unusual move designed to keep the structure’s integrity but also give the bridge a new look. Hence the gabled tower and the top half of the Waddell truss were taken down, new bracings were added in its place, thus creating a Parker through truss design that is supported with X-framed portal bracings.  Furthermore, the decking was supported with leaning beams with x-bracings, anchored into the abutment, as seen in the picture below:

Inspite this, this may not be enough to save the bridge, for a lot of wood rot and cracks are appearing in the lower half of the trusses. Most glaring are the end posts, one of which looks so shredded that it could potentially cause the bridge to collapse under ist weight or even flip over into the water. The least it could happen is that the trusses would tilt, putting more tension on the wooden truss parts. While some work has been done on the bridge already, with the truss conversion, it only represents a dressing to the problems the bridge has and the inevitable that the City of Blankenstein as well as the states of Thurngia and Bavaria will have to face- namely that the bridge will need to be replaced. Whether there is funding available remains unclear, especially in light of the recent approval of the construction of the longest pedestrian suspension bridges in the world at Lohbachtal and Höllental at the cost of 23 Million Euros.

While this controversial project remains ambitious and will surely bring in hundreds of thousands of tourists to the region, one wonders if this project is being carried out at the expense of several bridges in the region that are in dire need of attention. And the numbers are growing as more people come to the region for vacationing. By making the necessary repairs to the crossings, like in Sparnberg and here in Blankenstein, it will do more than provide safety for drivers, cyclists and hikers.

A Map of the Bridges at the Thuringian-Bavarian border can be found here. The Selbitz Bridge is on the far left.

 

Mystery Bridge Nr. 100: The Bridge at Fischweg in Chemnitz

CHEMNITZ (GERMANY)- I’m going to be very honest for this mystery bridge, which is the 100^th structure I’ve posted since launching the series in 2011. It was very, VERY difficult to decide which one to post next, for there was a large selection to choose from, ranging from an abandoned bridge along Route 66, a three-span through truss bridge in Oklahoma, a suspension bridge in India and this bridge. After some thorough consideration, I decided to go with the way that is the best in terms of my own merit as the structures have been mentioned by others in one way or another.

So here it comes: a through truss bridge that has been sitting on private land for a very long time, on the outskirts of a city that was for some time named after a Communist. Found by accident but not before almost getting my Volkswagen rammed into by a lorry behind me, who was cussing at me in Polish as he passed me by, after having parked my car off to the side. 😉

OK, the Polish guy part was fake news, but looking at the rest of the picture, one can see that you don’t need to fact-check this beauty.  The bridge is located just off Highway 107, three kilometers north of the Motorway A4 and the Exit Chemnitz-Glösa. It sits on private land next to the restaurant and hotel Landgasthof Draisdorf, around the curve.  It is an eight-panel Pratt through truss bridge, built using welded connections- meaning the beams are held together by gusset plates and are not inserted into the plates, like we would see in other truss bridges. The end posts are typical for many European truss bridges built during its time: vertical instead of angled. The portal and strut bracings feature V-laced bracings with curved heel bracings. The middle strut heels appear to be subdivided.  The bridge can be seen from the highway- although it is not recommended to stop because the highway curves around the Landgasthof and one could risk such a rear- ender plus an explanation with the police to follow.  The bridge is about 5-6 meters tall, about 30-35 meters long and 3 meters wide, judging by my presence at the bridge and the photos I took of the bridge. While the bridge is one of five known in Chemnitz, this is the only through truss bridge within the city limits, counting the village of Draisdorf, where it sits.

The fun part comes with the history of the bridge. My first judgement of the bridge was that it was located over the River Chemnitz at Heinersdorfer Strasse and it was pulled offsite and to its current location after a new bridge was constructed 100 meters to the south. The truss bridge was replaced by a new bridge in 2005.  You can see the points mentioned on the map. However, research by the Saxony Ministry of Historic Monuments and Preservation (D: Landesamt für Denkmalpflege Sachsen) in Dresden indicated that this truss bridge was not originally located at Heinersdorfer Strasse but at Fischweg near the cemetary in Glösa, only 400 meters south of the motorway exit. The map indicates that a bridge does exist but in a form of a bike and pedestrian crossing for the street ends on the grounds of a factory nearby. The date of construction of the bridge is 1900 and is currently listed in the Preservation Handbook for the State of Saxony (Denkmalschutzliste).

This leads us to the following questions which your help would be much appreciated in contributing whatever information may be of use:

1. Is the date 1900 correct? Sometimes the year is used because of a lack of clarity in terms of when exactly it was built and open to traffic.
2. If the bridge was not originally located at Heinersdorfer Strasse, what did the previous structure look like? When was it built and was it built by the same bridge builder as this bridge?
3. Independent of what was mentioned in nr. 2, who was the bridge builder for this bridge?
4. When was the current structure at Heinersdorfer Strasse built and what happened to the old structure?
5. What factors led to the replacement of this bridge and who led the efforts in saving it for reuse?

It’s not every day that a person and/or party steps forward to purchase the bridge and keep it for reuse. The bridge is privately owned and judging by my observations, it is being used as a picnic area with a porch swing attached to the top strut bracing. For most historic bridges that are purchased by private groups-namely homeowners, they are normally used for picnic areas and other forms of recreation more than for pedestrian and bike crossings because of liability reasons. It is different in comparison with private parties in the form of associations, park and recreational groups and the community that have more resources (including financial) to make sure the crossing is safe for reuse. But nevertheless, this bridge is safe and will most likely be in the hands of the homeowner until the need to get rid of it is near. When that happens, it can be hoped that the bridge is put back over the Chemnitz as a bike crossing. With the Chemnitztal Bike Path being extended and paved to Wechselburg, it would not be a surprise if this bridge was called to duty again given its preservation status and the interest in keeping it for generations to come.

And this is what makes this unexpected stop the most memorable- finding out the unknown about a structure like this one, which is truly a hidden gem.

And as we are on the same page, the next mystery bridge will go further downstream where a pair of structures are being refitted for bike use. More on this one in the next article. In the meantime, enjoy the photos here as well as on BHC’s facebook page.  And as for the aforementioned bridges at the beginning of the page, they will come later.

 

Author’s Note: Chemnitz was once named Karl-Marx-Stadt when it was under the rule of the German Democratic Republic. It even had a head statue of Karl Marx that can still be seen today. From 1953 until 1990, it was known that way.