Strauss Overhead Counterweight Bascule
View Exhibit mapThe first type of bascule bridges designed by Joseph B. Strauss of the Strauss Bascule Bridge Company starting in 1905 a Strauss Overhead counterweight trunnion bascule bridge then the vertical Overhead type bascule bridges, most have the operation links connected to the top of the counterweight to the posts with the counterweight struts connected to the tail ends of the truss and girder spans, that pushes the counterweight down and the bridge raises and raise the counterweight when the bridge lowers. A unusual type has the operating links below the counterweight that lifts the counterweight up when the bridge lowers and pulls the counterweight back down when it raises.
B&A - Chelsea Creek Railroad Bridge (Suffolk County, Massachusetts)
Built 1919; On February 28, 1955, the counterweight fell off the Chelsea Creek drawbridge, taking the bridge permanently out of serviceBridge over Chelsea Creek on Boston & Albany Railroad ( 2 tracks)Removed but not replaced
B&OCT - Indiana Harbor Canal Bridge (Lake County, Indiana)
Built 1914Abandoned deck plate girder bridge over Indiana Harbor Canal on Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal (Whitning)Derelict/abandoned
Bellamy River Bridge (Strafford County, New Hampshire)
Built 1935Pony/through plate girder bridge over Bellamy River on Us 4Demolished and replaced.
Benson Street Bridge (Hamilton County, Ohio)
Built 1908Through truss bridge over Miami & Erie Canal / Mill Creek on Benson was Wyoming StreetNo longer exists
BO - Bodine Creek Bridge (Richmond County, New York)
Bridge over Bodine Creek on Rapid Transit Railroad ( 2 tracks)No longer exists
C&LE - Swan Creek Bridge (Lucas County, Ohio)
Built 1909Lost Deck plate girder bridge over Swan Creek on Ohio Electric RailwayNo longer exists
City Park Avenue Bridge (Orleans Parish, Louisiana)
Built 1915, demolished 1951Deck girder bridge over former New Basin Canal on City Park Avenue/Metairie RoadDemolished
CNLA - Newport River Bridge (Carteret County, North Carolina)
Built in 1925Bascule bridge over Newport River on Former Beaufort & Morehead Carolina Rail Service RailroadOpen to traffic
CNW - Kinzie Street Bridge (1908) (Cook County, Illinois)
Built 1908; Rail line abandoned ca. 2001; Declared Chicago Landmark 2007Warren through truss bridge over North Branch Chicago River on Union Pacific RailroadOfficially open to traffic; carries 1 UPRR "Hy-rail" truck annually
Congress Street Bridge (Current) (Suffolk County, Massachusetts)
Built 1930; rehabilitated 2008Bascule bridge over Fort Point Channel on Congress Street in BostonOpen to traffic
CRCX - Darby Creek Bridge (Delaware County, Pennsylvania)
Pony/through plate girder bridge over Darby Creek on Conrail Shared Assets OperationsOpen to traffic
CUOH - Zanesville Bridge (Muskingum County, Ohio)
Built in 1913Through truss bridge over Muskingum River on Railroad in ZanesvilleOpen to rail traffic
Darby Creek Bridge (1930) (Delaware County, Pennsylvania)
Built 1930; rehabilitated 1951Pony/through bascule girder bridge over Darby Creek on Wanamaker Avenue (SR-420 Southbound)Open to traffic
Edison Street Bridge (1942) (San Joaquin County, California)
Built 1942Lost Warren pony truss bascule bridge over Mormon Slough on Edison StreetNo longer exists
Eighth Street Bridge (Passaic County, New Jersey)
Built 1914; rehabilitated 1965; replaced in 2018Pony truss bridge over Passaic River on Eighth Street in PassaicReplaced by a new bridge
FEC - New River Bridge (Old) (Broward County, Florida)
Built 1890/1915; Replaced 1977Lost Concrete tee beam bridge over New River on Florida East Coast RRReplaced by a new bridge
Federal Street Bascule Bridge (Camden County, New Jersey)
Built 1906; rehabilitated 1955; trusses made decorative in 2000Strauss bascule bridge over Cooper River on Federal StreetOpen to traffic
First Street Bridge (Middlesex County, Massachusetts)
Built 1925; reconstructed 1938, 1957 & 2000Deck plate girder bridge over Broad Canal on First StreetOpen to traffic
Fourth Street Bridge (San Francisco County, California)
Built 1916Warren truss Bascule bridge over China Basin on Fourth Street in San FranciscoOpen to traffic
Granite Avenue Bridge (Old) (Suffolk County, Massachusetts)
Built 1914; replaced 1959Lost Deck plate girder bridge over Neponset River on Granite AvenueDemolished and replaced
Green Bank Road Bridge (Burlington County, New Jersey)
Built 1993. It is a replica of the earlier bridge.Bascule bridge over Mullica River on CR 563Open to traffic
Hackensack River Bridge (Old) (Hudson County, New Jersey)
Replaced 1954Lost Through truss bridge over Hackensack River on US Highway 1 - 9Destroyed by disaster and replaced
Hylebos Waterway Bridge (Old) (Pierce County, Washington)
Built 1925; Replaced 1939Lost Through truss bridge over Hylebos Waterway on East 11th StreetReplaced by a new bridge
IC - Big Black River Bridge (Warren County, Mississippi)
Built 1917Lost deck girder bascule bridge over Big Black River on Illinois Central RR former Yazoo & Mississippi Valley RRNo longer exists
Lake Avenue Bridge (Orleans Parish, Louisiana)
Built 1914, demolished 1961Lost deck girder bridge over New Basin Canal on Lake AvenueRemoved but not replaced
Laurel Street Bridge (Hillsborough County, Florida)
Built 1927 by the U.G.I. Contracting Co.; rehabilitated 1969Bascule bridge over Hillsborough River on Laurel Street in TampaOpen to traffic
Little Chute Bascule Bridge (Outagamie County, Wisconsin)
Built 1928; Replaced 2015Bridge over Fox River Lock on Mill Street in Little ChuteReplaced by a new bridge
Lost Lower Bank Road Bridge (Burlington County, New Jersey)
Built 1926; replaced 1992Deck girder bridge crossing the Mullica River on County Route 652Replaced by a new bridge
Malden Bridge (Original) (Suffolk County, Massachusetts)
Built 1917, replaced 1965 collapsed Februrary 1Lost Through truss bridge over Mystic River on Route 99 Alford StreetReplaced by a new bridge
Manthey Road Bridge (San Joaquin County, California)
Built 1926Parker through truss bridge over San Joaquin River on Manthey Road in LathropOpen to traffic
Mare Island Bridge (1935) (Solano County, California)
Built 1935; replaced 1980Lost Deck plate girder bridge over Mare Island Strait on Mare Island Shipyard RD w RRReplaced by a new bridge
Martin's Point Bridge (Older) (Cumberland County, Maine)
Built in 1934 ; replaced in 1943Lost bridge over Presumpscot River on Maine Route US Highway 1Replaced by a new bridge
MBTA - Manchester Draw (Essex County, Massachusetts)
Built 1911Deck plate girder bridge over Manchester Harbor on Massachusetts Bay TransportationOpen to traffic
MBTA - Saugus River Bridge (Essex County, Massachusetts)
Built 1911; rehabilitated 1989Bascule plate girder bridge over Saugus River on Boston & Maine RailroadOpen to traffic
MNCW - Wappinger Creek Bridge (Dutchess County, New York)
Built 1929Pony plate girder bascule bridge over Wappinger Creek on Metro-North Commuter RailroadOpen to rail traffic, but permanently closed with counterweight removed
New Brunswick Road Bridge (Middlesex County, New Jersey)
Lost Deck plate girder bridge over South River on New Brunswick RoadNo longer exists
NH - North River Bridge (Plymouth County, Massachusetts)
Lost Deck girder bridge over North River on New York New Haven & Hartford RRNo longer exists
NSF Indian Head Footbridge (Charles County, Maryland)
Built 1917Warren pony through truss bascule footbridge over Mattawoman Creek on Pedestrian TrafficRemoved
Nueces Bay Causeway (Nueces County, Texas)
Built 1911; Heavily damaged/partially destroyed by the infamous 1919 Hurricane; Rebuilt 1921, appearing to have reused the original 1911 bascule; Replaced ca. 1963Lost Plate girder bascule bridge over Nueces Bay on US 181Replaced by a new bridge
NYSW - Overpeck Creek Bridge (Bergen County, New Jersey)
Pony/through plate girder bascule bridge over Overpeck Creek on NYS&W Railroad (NYS&W)
PCNJ - Rahway River Bridge (Union County, New Jersey)
Built 1907Lost Through truss bridge over Rahway River on Public Service Corporation of New JerseyDemolished
RDG - Darby Creek Drawbridge (Delaware County, Pennsylvania)
Bridge built ca. 1923; abandoned when Conrail took over Reading and PRR 1976 and shifted to adjacent PRR bridgeAbandoned pony/through plate girder bridge over Darby Creek on abandoned Reading RRDerelict/abandoned
S. Highland Blvd Bridge (Pitt County, North Carolina)
ReplacedLost Warren pony truss with all verticals bridge over Contentnea Creek on South Highland BoulevardNo longer exists
Salem River Bridge (Salem County, New Jersey)
Built 1927; replaced 2005Lost bascule bridge over Salem River on NJ 49 in SalemNo longer exists
South Carrollton Avenue Bridge (1926) (Orleans Parish, Louisiana)
Built 1926; Removed 1951Lost Pony/through plate girder bridge over New Basin Canal on South Carrollton Avenue & New Orleans Public Service IncorporatedRemoved
South First Street Bridge (Union County, New Jersey)
Built 1908Lost Bascule bridge over Elizabeth River on South First Street in ElizabethReplaced by a new bridge in 2010
SP - Nueces Bay Causeway (Nueces County, Texas)
Built 1913; Removed ca. 1965Lost Deck plate girder bascule bridge over Nueces Bay on San Antonio & Aransas Pass RRReplaced by a new bridge
Uncle Sam Bridge (Old) (Greene County, New York)
Built 1930;Replaced 1992Lost warren pony truss bridge over Catskill Creek on Route 385Replaced by a new bridge
VTR - Pine Street Barge Canal Drawbridge (Chittenden County, Vermont)
Built 1920 as a replacement of a 1893 span; Permanently closed at unknown dateDeck plate girder bridge over Hastings Bay on Vermont RailwayOpen to traffic, counterweight removed and steel stringers replaced original girder span
Wading River Bridge (Burlington County, New Jersey)
Built 1928; rebuilt 1984; rehabilitated 2001Bascule bridge over Wading River on CR 542Open to traffic
Walnut Street Bridge (Old) (Brown County, Wisconsin)
Lost Warren pony truss bascule bridge over Fox River on Walnut Street (WI 29)Replaced by a new bridge
Washington Street Bridge (San Joaquin County, California)
Built 1927Lost Warren through truss bascule bridge over Mormon Slough Channel on Washington StreetNo longer exists
Yacht Club Bridge (Orleans Parish, Louisiana)
Lost Deck girder bridge over New Basin Canal on Tennision HighwayNo longer exists