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Sellar Mill Road Bridge

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Photos 

Photo taken by Matthew Ridpath in May 2010

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Map 

Facts 

Overview
Abandoned warren pony truss bridge over Haw River (West Channel) on Sellar Mill Road
Location
Alamance County, North Carolina
Status
Abandoned
History
The Warren pony truss span was relocated here from elsewhere.
Design
Two spans, one Warren pony truss with riveted connections, and one double-intersection Warren pony truss with riveted connections.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+36.10933, -79.39233   (decimal degrees)
36°06'34" N, 79°23'32" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
17/644701/3997270 (zone/easting/northing)
USGS topographic map
Burlington
Inventory number
BH 47177 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Update Log 

  • December 7, 2010: New photos from Matthew Ridpath
  • November 30, 2010: Added by Nathan Holth

Sources 

Comments 

Sellar Mill Road Bridge
Posted December 8, 2010, by Nathan Holth (form3 [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

Thanks for getting these photos, it is nice to get a better look at this bridge. I didn't realize it had that weird newer girder/floorbeam span. Each span is a different age!

As for the double-Warren truss configuration, I have seen bridges like this listed as both Pratts and Double-Warrens. I really don't know what the "correct" classification is. My thinking with the vertical members has been that a standard Warren truss may or may not have verticals, so why shouldn't a double-intersection warren. But I could see someone making the argument that the bridge is a Pratt with counters on every panel, but usually counters are only present in the center panel(s). With pin-connected truss bridges, counters are easy to ID because they are smaller than diagonals, but on riveted truss bridges like this one the counters are often the same size as the diagonals.

Sellar Mill Road Bridge
Posted December 7, 2010, by Matthew Ridpath

Thanks for adding this bridge, Nathan. I will post my pictures of it tonight. I'd be curious to know why the smaller span is a Double-Intersection Warren instead of a four-panel Pratt. I was led to believe it was the latter because of the vertical members.