Eagle Rock Truss Bridge
Description
This 1885 bridge was the second bridge built over the James River at Eagle Rock. A third bridge, a deck truss, was constructed in 1932 to replaced this bridge. The 1932 bridge was closed in 1997 and removed in 1999. The fourth and current James River bridge at Eagle Rock was built in 2001 upstream.Facts
- Overview
- Abandoned pratt through truss bridge over James River
- Location
- Botetourt County, Virginia
- Status
- Abandoned
- History
- Built 1885 by the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad Co.; Bypassed by new bridge in 1932
- Railroad
- - Richmond & Alleghany Railroad Co. (RA)
- Design
- Composite iron and wood Pratt truss bridge consisting of top chords of wood, verticals of wood, bottom chords of iron and diagonals of iron.
- Also called
- Mule Bridge
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +37.64087, -79.80411 (decimal degrees)
37°38'27" N, 79°48'15" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 17/605507/4166642 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Eagle Rock
- Inventory number
- BH 44843 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- December 9, 2017: Updated by Christopher Finigan: Added category "Pin-connected"
- August 26, 2014: Updated by Luke: Added categories "Railroad", "Rail-to-road"
- August 26, 2014: New Street View added by Ralph Demars
- April 30, 2010: Updated by C Hanchey: added bridge history
- April 12, 2010: Added by C Hanchey
Sources
- C Hanchey - cmh2315fl [at] yahoo [dot] com
Comments
Thanks luke.There are composite metals that are used in all kinds of applications.I forgot about wood and metal as in bridges.
Dana is correct. When trusses are referred to as "combination" or "composite", they're referring to the mixed use of timber and metal parts.
You have a good point there,Dana and Kay.Didn't look at it that way.Thanks.
Believe it may refer defer to composite of wood and metal probably Iron. Will defer to more knowledgeable pontists for definitive answer.
I have a question.I see the word composite used in the pictures of this bridge.I've dealt with composite metals in the past.Is this bridge made out of composite materials?From what I remember composite metals are more than one metal.
It seems like this railroad built multiple wooden truss bridges- there is another that is abandoned farther down the line. Who knows, there may have been even more than these two! https://bridgehunter.com/va/cumberland/cartersville/
Is this a rare wooden railroad truss? It certainly seems to to me!
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/va/botetourt/eagle-rock-truss/
Your dates and chronology on the Eagle Rock bridges are in need of research and correction. The current bridge was a replacement for the bridge closed in 1985 -- and constructed on the same site. All of the iron truss bridges, with the exception of the Phoenix Bridge (which remains open to automobile traffic), were closed to all traffic by the 1960s.