Zachary S

Being replaced, unfortunately without documentation. Farewell to an 1898 bridge, hello concrete eyesore.

Unfortunately, being replaced.

This is along the main Amtrak corridor entering DC and when I take the Crescent it's always a major highlight. Here's hoping preservation ensues but it certainly wouldn't be the first great truss I like to be scrapped recently...

I am LOVING all these historical bridges found/added recently from old papers. It's exciting.

A closer look at recent aerial imagery shows that the south span at least may be partially intact from where it fell when the center pier collapsed, sitting just downstream. The north span not so much.

Looks more salvageable than many collapsed trusses, but it won't ever happen. Very sad.

It's visible in that pasture on Google Earth too. A much better fate than I had feared.

Alright so, after being restored and repaired in Florida, the bridge is apparently going to be reinstalled near its original location, so far presumed to be for vehicle traffic once more. I don't know how much historical integrity had to be compromised for its repair since it was claimed there was major damage that had to be repaired, but it has been repaired and is scheduled to be reinstalled sometime next year probably. A far better fate than many old rail-crossing road bridges.

Oh wow... nice catch. There's gotta be more of these scattered in the woods throughout the state that are impossible to see from satellite imagery/aerials

Well that's a damn shame. Too bad it's really difficult to preserve railroad-owned bridges on active lines; often nearly zero warning ahead of time and of course being a business their focus is, unfortunately but certainly understandably, on newer bridges for heavier loads and stack trains rather than historic preservation

Looks to have been replaced by a modern pony truss span very recently. There's just never any good news in these parts.

Tragically... new Google Earth update shows the spans gone, perhaps lost due to flooding, as the center pier is collapsed. Very, very unfortunate loss.

http://cullmantoday.com/2018/02/22/30-ton-big-rig-crumples-3...

Well... As much as the bridge is unfit for vehicle traffic now due to damage, the collapse is not as total as I thought. One endpost may be toast and there is significant damage toward the middle but there is a lot to salvage. That said, the county plans on demolishing it and either abandoning the short road or building a new bridge. I guess I'll contact the county and plea for a careful removal and not a total demolition, as they insist repair cost is prohibitive...

News articles continue to insist it's Brown's Bridge that the county is adamant on replacing soon, but I can't help but wonder if they're actually referring to the Oakman-Parrish Road truss a bit to the east, that's been closed for a decade or more. Will change this one to doomed regardless, until I can make absolutely sure.

The road department is completely broke in Walker County though and they admit that a lot of replacement and rehab projects will be on hold for a long time. That is kind of a mixed blessing I guess with multiple abandoned trusses throughout, but not so great with the maintenance needed to keep them intact. They take good care of the Country Club Road bridge, oldest in the state still open to traffic though... so far. No plans to replace that I know of, a sort of historic marker, replaced approach guardrails, and relatively new paint. A few others however have been lost in the last decade.

Several bridges are on the state chopping block, but unless things change, there may be time to save the closed and abandoned ones in Walker County while the budget demands priorities elsewhere. I hope there's community support for that.

Welp. Count this as another one lost to an overloaded truck. THIRTY ton, fifty three foot Dollar General truck tried to cross, leading to at least a partial collapse. This was just today so no idea what happens next but... very unlikely to salvage. WHY. WHY ARE TRUCK DRIVERS LIKE THIS. UGGGHH