Rating:
31979
{73}%
1 vote
White Rock Bridge
Photos
Overview
Photo taken April 1994 by Wayne Fleming for the Historic American Engineering Record
BH Photo #108768
Description
This pair of bridges cross both the Pawcatuck River as a through truss bridge, and the White Rock Canal as a pony truss. The original configuration was unusual in that separate structures were provided for highway and trolley traffic with a common center truss. (See photo #2.) The highway portion was replaced after closing in 1976. (NBI says built 1996.) The railroad portion was retained for pedestrian use.
Facts
- Overview
- Through and pony truss bridge over Pawcatuck River on Bridge Road/White Rock Road at Westerly
- Location
- Washington County, Rhode Island, and New London County, Connecticut
- Status
- Open for Pedestrian Use
- History
- Built 1906 by the National Construction Co.; railroad discontinued 1922; bridge closed to all traffic in 1976
- Builder
- - National Construction & Equipment Co. of New York, New York
- Railroads
- - Interurban
- Norwich & Westerly Railway
- Design
- Pratt through truss over Pawcatuck River
Pratt pony truss over White Rock Canal (Tail race of White Rock Mill)
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 126.0 ft.
Total length: 234.0 ft.
Deck width: 9.8 ft.
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +41.39754, -71.84197 (decimal degrees)
41°23'51" N, 71°50'31" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
- Approximate UTM coordinates
- 19/262415/4586787 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Ashaway
- Average daily traffic (as of 2008)
- 1
- Inventory numbers
- RI 652 (Rhode Island bridge number)
HAER No. RI-39
BH 31979 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
- Inspection report (as of January 2009)
- Overall condition: Fair
Superstructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
View more at BridgeReports.com
Update Log
- November 16, 2020: Updated by Chester Gehman: Added description-unusual configuration
- July 14, 2016: Updated by Christopher Finigan: Added category "Preserved"
- January 3, 2014: Updated by Luke Harden: Added categories "railroad", "Rail-and-Road", "Interurban", "Norwich & Westerly Railway"
- August 14, 2013: New photos from C Hanchey
- February 1, 2011: Updated by J.P.: bridge open to pedestrians
- September 15, 2006: Posted HAER photos
Sources
- J.P. - wildcatjon2000 [at] gmail [dot] com
- HAER RI-39 - White Rock Bridge, Spanning Pawcatuck River & White Rock Canal, Westerly, Washington, RI
- C Hanchey - cmh2315fl [at] yahoo [dot] com
- Luke
- Chester Gehman - gehmanc2000 [at] yahoo [dot] com