Recent Alaska Comments

In going through the doomed bridges listed I came across an article about the loss of this bridge last year. Alaska DOT threw a party topped off by blowing up this bridge to smithereens.

http://www.dot.state.ak.us/comm/pressbox/arch_2011/PR11-2512.shtml

What an interesting design. It must have been a fun search to find these pictures.

A bridge in Nenana... over the Tanana... makes me want a Banana... ;-P

It is good to see a photo posted from Alaska. We need more Alaska photo's. If I could take up a collection I would be willing to go to AK on a bridgehunting trip!

Go to following link for the contractors very interesting report on Phase 1 repairs. Include lifting Span #4, replacing one pier and strengthening existing piers. Phase 2, not yet put out to bid involves seismic devices for all old spans...but may not ever happen.

http://mceer.buffalo.edu/research/HighwayPrj/Workshops/Truss/10-Ingham.pdf

I fully agree; this is one of the most incredible truss bridges I've ever seen--maybe some verification, but from the Street view, the larger span actually looks like a subdivided Warren through truss rather than a Pennsylvania--you can trace the main diagonals, top to bottom, all the way across, typical of a Warren configuration. Anyone else have any input?

That makes sense. The NBI 1957 date is undoubtedly the relocation date. The bridge did look a lot older than a 1957 bridge. This is one of the finest historic bridges in Alaska. Photos of this bridge would be much appreciated.

Chuck, if you are in a position to submit more historical details on this bridge and/or take pictures, it sure would be a great addition to this listing.

I believe this bridge was put across Birch Creek circa 1928. It was dismantled from some other location in Alaska and reassembled at current location.

The realinement of the bridge is suppose to be the next phase of the project. If you could look down station you would be able see that pier 2 and pier 3 was shifted,(tilted,) at the same time that pier 4 failed. In order to realine the superstructure, there will have to be some rework of those piers,(substructure,) The orignal concrete piers do not have any rebar in them and the cold joints could shift with a good earthquake like pier did.

This bridge was hit by a truck and closed for repairs as a result. I only found one photos of the bridge on the DOT website, but from this one photo I see rivets and v-lacing. Thus, the 1981 construction date appears to be incorrect. I wonder if the other 1980s truss listed in the NBI is also older.

I hear you Nathan... If one historic bridge can be saved, so can others. Missouri and Pensylvania are wrecking historic bridges, Alaska shouldn't follow their trend. It is always apalling to see UCEB's being put up beside a beautiful and savable truss. The "kaboom" will surely sting, and out of the dust remains the concrete "thing"...

Absolutely pathetic. Nobody can try to tell me this historic bridge is in the way of anything. Don't demolish it... leave it standing next to its replacement as an abandoned historic landmark! It is so simple.

The largest and least populated state in the United States of America, and even here we can't leave the historic bridge standing next to its replacement?! What harm could it possible cause to leave it? Worst thing that could happen is an earthquake splits it in half, and that didn't stop the Million Dollar Bridge.

Somebody said something about the bridge being misaligned after being re-set. I wonder if the Earth Quake caused it to be off-set and so it wasn't possible to re-set it straight. Maybe all of the piers on one side are offset.

It was built as a part of the railroad to service the Kennecot copper mine. After the mine closed it became a road to access the Copper River Valley. Not a lot of development there but without the bridge and road it would be even less.

Actually there are large coal deposits in the area and the railroad was built with their development in mind as much as the copper mine but Theodore Roosevelt got into a fight with Morgan and the Guggenhimes who bought leases on the coal mining rights and the whole deal was killed. Depending on how you look on it it was a win for conservation or a loss for Alaska's right to develop the resources of their own state. It's a battle that continues today..

The plan was to build copper smelting plants to use the ore and coal and export copper. As it ended up only high grade copper ore concentrate was mined and shipped to Oregon for smelting. When the very high grade ore was done in the 1930's it closed. There is a lot of good ore remaining but it would have to be smelted in place and that is not going to happen under current conditions.

Did anyone notice that when they lifted the span back up they had a little trouble with alignment? http://www.flickr.com/photos/giantginkgo/247997934/

Where does this bridge go to?

fourth span collapsed in earthquake on March 27, 1964, collapsed span repaired 2005.

So that means they were driving on that makeshift roadway for 41 years!

Yes, there is a photo.

I did not take it, but because it is copyrighted, I can't download it to put it on here.

But here is the link to a picture of it with the span repaired.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11581087@N08/1438579129/

Does anyone have any pictures of the bridge set back on the pier?

The span the collapsed has been reset, and lifted back on the pier, and is reopen to all traffic.

Images taken 8-19-07. A true bridge to nowhere. The 86 mile Nome-Taylor gravel highway ends at this one-lane bridge spanning the Kougarok River. A trail proceeds from their to the mining area at Taylor, Alaska. The road was never finished. Weight Limit is 10 tons. Bridge was reassembled at it's present site. Origin of bridge unknown.

This is absolutely incredible. The bridge is collapsed from an Earthquake but it is still open to traffic. I had to do a double-take on that. I guess they still have the pioneer spirit in Alaska.....or at least did in 1964.

This is absolutely incredible. The bridge is collapsed from an Earthquake but it is still open to traffic. I had to do a double-take on that. I guess they still have the pioneer spirit in Alaska.....or at least did in 1964.