Unusual lifted "hangers" make you wonder ...
Photo taken by Andrew Pearce in August 2012
BH Photo #238388
As of 2002, but not completely true anymore: "The bridge carries one lane of a quiet country road over the Musconetcong River, the boundary between Hunterdon and Warren counties. It is located in a rural setting, adjacent to a well-maintained 19th century farm with fields and outbuildings" "The 2-span pin-connected Pratt half hip with counters pony truss bridge is supported on stone abutments. The concrete pier was placed in 1988. Each of the trusses is 5 panels long and has round-headed eye bars for the lower chords. Floor beams are hung from the lower panel points by a pair of U bolts. The most unusual detail is design of the built-up verticals composed of back-to-back angles with a flared web plate. The flared shape adds lateral stability. Repairs are minimal. Plate has been welded to the inclined end posts at the bearings. One line of the original pipe railing survives, but the other, at the lower level, has been replaced with modern beam guide rail."
This late model truss is perhaps 3/4 mile downstream from the 1868 Cowin/Winthrop cast iron antiquity on Shoddy Mill Rd, yet this "old" bridge seems somehow nearly brand new. It's been widened and had a full load stringer and slab system tucked in under it, the original floor beams replaced with units so much larger that they had to "hang" from pedestals ... though in reality I think the pedestal brackets are holding up the truss. Even though this one has riveted top chords of significant size with nice original lacing underneath, along with large diameter diagonals and beefy eyebar lower chords, even though the tapered verticals have been de-laced and solid plates welded in (aka "flared web plate" says the county, but please; that's the only welding on the bridge; it couldn't be original), which is very rare and quite impressive to see ... this truss is probably 85% just for show at this point.
And the really funny part? Shoddy Mill Rd probably sees at least half as much traffic as Valley Rd., though the official numbers say it's only 1/3 as much. Both are rural routes to lesser traveled areas; neither one is even close to being on a main thoroughfare. The only real difference is that the sharp corner in the road at one end of Shoddy Mill's one lane crossing, and the dip in the road at the other end make people cross the bridge at 5mph, whereas they cross Valley Road at 65 (in a 45, but this is NJ after all).