News

Looking back on previous winners

Before announcing the winners for this year's TRUSS Awards, I thought it would be helpful to check on the status of winners from the first two years. For most bridges, nothing much has happened -- good or bad -- although the day of reckoning is quickly approaching for many of them:

2012 winners

• Washington Bridge (Franklin County, Missouri) - Still scheduled for replacement in the next few years

• Meadows Road Bridge (Northampton County, Pennsylvania) - This bridge is still standing, but a decision on its future is still pending.

• Danville-Mickles Bowstring Bridge (Yell County, Arkansas) - No change

• Neosho River K-47 Bridge (Neosho County, Kansas) - Construction on a replacement bridge is underway. When the old bridge is demolished, only two other bridges of this kind will remain (one in Kansas and one in Nebraska).

• Cedar Grove Bridge (Franklin County, Indiana) - Local organizations are trying to raise money to acquire the bridge and restore it for a pedestrian/bicycle trail.

• Meridian Street Bridge (Pierce County, Washington) - This bridge is still scheduled for replacement, although interest has been shown in relocating it for use on a recreational trail.

• Bolivia Road Bridge (Sangamon and Christian counties, Illinois) - Still slated to be replaced

• Cascade Bridge (Des Moines County, Iowa) - Demolition of this rare deck truss remains likely.

• Newport Bridge (Jackson County, Arkansas) - Planning continues for a replacement bridge, but hopefully the old bridge will be taken over by the city of Newport and allowed to remain standing.

• CStPM&O Bridge (Eau Claire County, Wisconsin) - Work to rehabilitate this bridge and open it for pedestrian use is expected to be completed in 2013.

• Black Bridge (Albany County, New York) - Plans are still underway to rehabilitate this bridge as part of a bike trail, but bids for the project came in higher than expected.

• Murray Bridge (Humboldt County, Iowa) - Situation unknown

• Hulton Bridge (Allegheny County, Pennsylvania) - Construction of the replacement bridge on a new alignment is slated to begin Fall 2013 and be completed by 2016, with demolition of the old bridge soon after

• Sixth Street Bridge (Los Angeles County, California) - A design for the replacement bridge has been selected, with construction set to begin in 2015.

• Tappan Zee Bridge (Rockland and Westchester counties, New York) - While state officials briefly discussed keeping the old bridge for pedestrian/bicycle use, that idea is now off the table. Construction on the replacement bridge is expected to begin this year.

2011 winners

• McMillin Bridge (Pierce County, Washington) - The state highway department is still adamant about demolishing this one-of-a-kind concrete truss bridge, but a feature story in a local newspaper chastises this decision.

• Mitchell River Bridge (Barnstable County, Massachusetts) - Still likely to be replaced

• Beatty Road Bridge (Morrow County, Ohio) - Bridge is still closed

• Mead Avenue Bridge (Crawford County, Pennsylvania) - Bridge is still scheduled to be replaced, likely starting Summer 2013

• Long Shoals Bridge (Bourbon County, Kansas) - Plans are underway to move this bridge to Fort Scott's riverfront. The bridge will retain its National Register listing after the move.

• Springfield Bridge (Faulkner and Conway counties, Arkansas) - Bridge is still slowly deteriorating

• Independence Bowstring Bridge (Montgomery County, Kansas) - No change

• Meramec River US 66 Bridge (St. Louis County, Missouri) - The bridge's deck was removed in 2012 in an effort to reduce the weight on the bridge and buy more time. Local organizations are still working to rehabilitate this bridge for bicycle/pedestrian use as part of Route 66 State Park.

• Nachitoch Bluff Bridge (Clark and Nevada Counties, Arkansas) - Still abandoned

• Panther Creek Bridge (Miami County, Ohio) - Situation unknown

• Wagon Wheel Bridge (Boone County, Iowa) - Situation unknown

• Riverside Bridge (Christian County, Missouri) - The future of this bridge is still uncertain.