Elevation.
How does PennDOT deal with a beautiful historic bridge crossing a spectacular water fall on a road that serves only two full time residents? Bring in the bulldozers and tear it out!
Photo taken by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
BH Photo #176853
The approaching roadway is a narrow one-lane road with shear rock on either side.
PennDOT plans to demolish and replace this historic bridge with a MOB (Mail Order Bridge) truss structure. This ugly galvanized, welded structure is supposed to look like the historic riveted truss bridge. This replacement structure was selected because the new bridge will provide a 45 ton weight limit.
It is not clear how or why any traffic that weighs 45 tons would even dream of using this road.
there is a google post on this bridge. I would say that it is not the outcome we wanted when we did a site visit, but it did preserve a road, a view of the falls and you can't really see the back side of the fake rivets.
It's not a loss, they kept it a one lane road and this bridge will last a long time. The last had a lot of problems and it was a riveted pony truss, in the scheme of historic bridges it is a loss, but it's not a failure.
I know the difference, one gets blown up, the other is replaced with something similar.
As per what was reported on the forum page this bridge was replaced.Thanks to Tony Zadjura for mentioning this.Noticed there are differences between this bridge and the old one.
I think PennDOT will need a trophy case to hold all of their well-deserved awards!!
PennDOT wants to demolish this bridge which is one of the most scenic settings in Pennsylvania, the truss crossing over a waterfall. Truly heartless.
http://www.neagle.com/news/20160712/wangum-bridge-open-to-pu...
Wangum Falls Bridge opened to the public on June 24, 2016.
The one-lane steel truss bridge crosses the waterfalls on Middle Creek, on Wangum Road, Township Route 367.
PennDOT chose a design to carefully match the historic appearance, after much concern was expressed by preservationists. The state had it listed for replacement since 2002. Normally the state would not build a steel truss, but rather install a modern concrete span.
The former bridge was considered historic due to being an excellent example of a field riveted design, and the unique setting with a narrow rock cut on the east side where a historic gravity railroad passed.