Black Rock Bridge

The work is finished on this bridge and is now a 4 lane with a sweeping approach from the south side of 63 ( Portia) that gives one the feeling of being on a big airport runway. I was always nervous crossing it pulling a living quarters trailer and would think about the old movie " The Cassandra Crossing". Was glad to see a new one but have to admit that for me that was one of the few thrills at my stage of life to go over The Black at the top of the old 2 laner.

Photos of new Black River Bridge at Black Rock on Feb. 6, 2014.

Photos taken Nov. 11, 2013.

Photos of the new bridge taken Sept. 10, 2013.

Unfortunately, with deck truss bridges, utter boringness from the deck is the way it is...the MN 123 Kettle River Bridge in Pine County, MN, is even worse...

http://bridgehunter.com/mn/pine/sandstone/

Go to this link and take a look at the photo of the deck on it..this one has been re-decked and has really ugly jersey barriers for rails, so if you didn't know it, you would be completely unaware of the massive deck truss system underneath...it looks like a new UCEB from the top.

I drove over this bridge a few weeks ago. Lots of construction around it. It's a fairly boring looking bridge when driving over it.

Then after getting home, I look here on Bridgehunter to see what old bridge is being replaced - and find it's a deck-truss! *sigh* Maybe it's better that I didn't know at the time as I could not have stopped to investigate or photograph it anyway. Ignorance and bliss, etc.

Looking at the one picture, that arched truss main span isn't a pure warren truss. There is a, well, stutter. Panels 2 and three from the center both have diagonal the same direction - like a Howe truss. Seems unusual.

I did get a couple pictures from the deck, but a deck truss can look like a ugly concrete bridge from the deck.

The construction of the new bridge to replace the present bridge started this spring. Will be adding pictures as process takes place. June 7, 2013.

Just drove across this today. They're replacing some of the deck and traffic was one-lane with a stoplight regulating traffic. There were two semi-trailers in my lane stopped, and each semi that came in the other direction made the bridge shake enough I was a little concerned about all the weight on the bridge at that point. Reminded me a little of the way the swinging bridges at Lake of the Ozarks are when cars cross them.

ADHT has just imposed weight limits on this bridge,33T.It's about time,too.I'm sure it has good memories for some,but,it's a nightmare to cross over it for myself.It is sky-high above the river,and,the roadbed looks as if it could fall into the drink.

THIS MIGHTY BRIDGE IS VISIBLY A CONNECTION OF TWO WORLDS ONE BEING THE RIVER BOTTOMS WITH THEIR RICH SOIL AND LEVEL LAND THE OTHER BEING THE START OF THE OZARKS FOOTHILLS. AS A KID I TOO HELD MY BREATH WHEN CROSSING AND WONDERED WHY THEY MAKE SUCH A HIGH AND LONG BRIDGE SO ROUGH TO RIDE ON! I LIVED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BRIDGE AND CROSSED IT MANY TIMES IT PLAYED A BIG ROLE IN MY LIFE AND NEVER NOTICED UNTIL RECENTLY. IVE WENT FISHING UNDERNEATH WITH MY GRANDPA PLENTY OF TIMES AND AROUND THE ISLAND THERE IS PLENTY OF HOLES AND GULLIES FOR CATFISH THERE. THAT BRIDGE IS THE LINK TO MEMORIES FOR MANY PEOPLE

This bridge holds fun memories for me. I have crossed it many, many times from the 1960's till this very year, 2007.

My dear Dad, now passed on, made it a fun game for all of us kids. We'd hold our breath just as we got on the bridge and see who could make it till we crossed the other end. He always won of course...he grew up swimming in the Black river. I've crossed it in the worst fog I've ever seen from Portia until you got to Black Rock. I've seen the flood waters of the Black River all the way to the edge of Portia. This is a mighty bridge and as years have gone by I've always wondered about it's strength...now more than ever. I've lived away from Lawrence County for many years now but still go back at least every year or so to see realtives in Smithville and Walnut Ridge and each time I go over the Black River Bridge I hold my breath and so do my own children....I even make it to the end..Dad would be proud !!

I have many, many fond memories of crossing this bridge as a young child and into adulthood. I remember crossing many times when there was flooding below and wondering, wood the water ever rise to the bottom of the bridge, I don't believe it ever has. Many young men used this bridge in the 70's to as they called it to "blow the soot" out of their souped up cars. It was also used (not offically of course) on many a summer night as a 1/4 mile dragstrip in the 60's and 70's. Those "WERE" to good old days. As I now live out of state I have not crossed this bridge since the 90's. I would love to cross it again in the future and show this wonderess bridge to my boys.