Rating:
3 votes

Waterloo Bridge

Culpeper County, Virginia, and Fauquier County, Virginia

Photos 

Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record

View photos at Library of Congress

BH Photo #129303

Map 

Description 

Original construction date and builder are not clear. A 1975 VHTRC study stated the main span was built in 1879 by the King Iron Bridge & Manufacturing Co. based on a bridge/date plate. HAER VA-112 states the main span was likely built in 1885 with no builder known based on a reference in Fauquier County records to settling the final costs with Culpeper County. HAER documented that approaches to the bridge were rebuilt by the Virginia Bridge & Iron Co. in 1918-19.

According to county officials this is a Pittsburgh Bridge Co. Bridge, and I have changed the builder. There was another King Bridge nearby that is now gone from what I have been told. JB

Facts 

Overview
Through truss bridge over Rappahannock River on Waterloo Road (Route 613)
Location
Culpeper County, Virginia, and Fauquier County, Virginia
Status
Reopened 2019
History
Built 1879 Pittsburgh Bridge Co. ; approaches rebuilt 1919 by the Virginia Bridge & Iron Co.
Builders
- Pittsburgh Bridge Co. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Builder)
- Virginia Bridge & Iron Co. of Roanoke, Virginia [also known as Virginia Bridge Co.]
Design
Pin-connected Pratt through truss main span and 15 steel deck approach spans
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 102.0 ft.
Total length: 366.2 ft.
Deck width: 11.2 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 14.4 ft.
Recognition
Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
Approximate latitude, longitude
+38.69567, -77.90647   (decimal degrees)
38°41'44" N, 77°54'23" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
18/247211/4287127 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Jeffersonton
Average daily traffic (as of 2002)
680
Inventory numbers
VA 5622 (Virginia bridge number)
BH 33651 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection report (as of October 2013)
Overall condition: Poor
Superstructure condition rating: Serious (3 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 14.9 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com

Categories 

19th Century (8,707)
Beam (16,971)
Built 1879 (113)
Built during 1870s (1,333)
County line crossing (534)
Culpeper County, Virginia (8)
Fauquier County, Virginia (11)
NR-eligible (4,115)
Open (41,012)
Owned by state (16,594)
Pin-connected (4,898)
 Pittsburgh Bridge Co. (47)
Pratt through truss (6,136)
Pratt truss (10,417)
Rappahannock River (12)
Span length 100-125 feet (4,575)
Through truss (17,288)
Total length 250-500 feet (5,557)
Truss (36,056)
Virginia (1,389)
Virginia Bridge & Iron Co. (206)
Virginia Bridge Co. (53)

Update Log 

  • November 17, 2021: Updated by Dylan Clarke: Bridge reopened
  • October 25, 2021: New photos from Dylan Clarke
  • August 19, 2017: Updated by Dave King: Added category "Pin-connected"
  • December 4, 2015: New photo from Joe Martin
  • February 6, 2015: Photos imported by Dave King
  • June 4, 2014: Updated by Julie Bowers: JB changed builder from two sources in Virgina.
  • January 15, 2014: Updated by Luke Harden: Closed
  • June 27, 2010: Updated by C Hanchey: Added history info
  • April 14, 2009: Updated by James Gonzalski
  • December 5, 2008: Updated by Kim Harvey

Sources 

Post a comment here

Comments 

Waterloo Bridge
Posted June 3, 2017, by Art S. (asuckewer [at] knite [dot] com)

Progress?:

http://culpepertimes.com/2017/05/31/waterloo-bridge-restorat...

Regards,

Art S.

Waterloo Bridge
Posted February 4, 2016, by ArtS (asuckewer [at] knite [dot] com)

Continued discussion:

http://www.rappnews.com/2016/02/04/is-there-hope-for-histori...

Waterloo Bridge
Posted January 12, 2016, by Andy Peters (anpete1971 [at] gmail [dot] com)

"Waterloo Bridge Remains in Limbo", Fauquier Now, Jan. 12, 2016.

http://www.fauquiernow.com/index.php/fauquier_news/entry/fau...

Waterloo Bridge
Posted April 1, 2015, by ArtS (asuckewer [at] knite [dot] com)

Another bump in the road - 'soft costs.' Hopefully not to big of a bump:

http://www.fauquier.com/news/article/environmental_group_vdo...

Waterloo Bridge
Posted January 26, 2015, by ArtS (asuckewer [at] knite [dot] com)

Apparently VDOT is now seriously considering restoration! Congratulations to all involved!

Regards,

Art S.

Waterloo Bridge
Posted October 29, 2014, by Nathan Holth (webmaster [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

Art... that's just an opinion article, like a "letter to the editor" so I wouldn't be too concerned. There are always people for and against preservation in any situation, as you well know.

Waterloo Bridge
Posted October 29, 2014, by ArtS (asuckewer [at] knite [dot] com)

A bump in the road?:

http://www.fauquiernow.com/index.php/fauquier_news/entry/fau...

Waterloo Bridge
Posted June 29, 2014, by Julie Bowers (jbowerz1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

Cant wait to deliver our options and expert opiniins onbhow this crossing can be relevant.

Waterloo Bridge
Posted June 23, 2014, by ArtS (asuckewer [at] knite [dot] com)

Progress:

http://www.pecva.org/maps-and-resources/publications/piedmon...

Waterloo Bridge
Posted June 4, 2014, by Julie Bowers (jbowerz1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

Workin it. Another article mentioned Nels and Bach Steel. It is about informing about real costs and actions and working in the niche we are carving out....here at bridgehunter and in every state.

Waterloo Bridge
Posted May 12, 2014, by ArtS (asuckewer [at] knite [dot] com)

Another article with reference to bridgehunter:

http://www.fauquiernow.com/index.php/fauquier_news/entry/wat...

Waterloo Bridge
Posted May 6, 2014, by ArtS (asuckewer [at] knite [dot] com)

Nice article with picture:

http://www.fauquiernow.com/index.php/fauquier_news/article/w...

Waterloo Bridge
Posted April 11, 2014, by Nathan Holth (form3 [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

Please sign an online petition to support the preservation of this bridge:

http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/50930/p/dia/action3/common/pub...

Also, the effort to save this bridge now has a Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/WaterlooLanding

Waterloo Bridge Closed
Posted January 15, 2014, by William (metalgod8 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

January 14, 2014

VDOT Press Release

RT. 613 BRIDGE OVER RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER CLOSED

Waterloo Road structure deemed unsafe due to significant deterioration

CULPEPER –The 136-year-old bridge on Route 613 (Waterloo Road) that carries traffic over the Rappahannock River between Culpeper and Fauquier counties will be closed to traffic due to its condition. The closure will be effective on Wednesday, Jan. 15.

The truss structure, made of wrought iron and built in 1878, was posted for a three-ton maximum vehicle weight prior to the closure. Despite that restriction and numerous repairs through the years, advancing age and the weather took their toll on the bridge’s supporting members.

Following its most recent inspection, bridge engineers with the Virginia Department of Transportation determined that the deterioration was too severe to continue to allow traffic to use the bridge.

For the 680 vehicles that use the bridge each day, the closure will require a detour using Route 211 (Lee Highway) and Route 688 (Leeds Manor Road) in Fauquier County. Route 613 (Jeffersonton Road) on the east side of the bridge will be closed to through traffic. On the Culpeper County side traffic will still be able to use Route 613 (Waterloo Road) and Route 622 (Old Bridge Road) as far east as the intersection of those two routes.

VDOT will work with local officials in Fauquier and Culpeper County to determine the best course of action.

For more information about Virginia’s bridges and the Virginia Department of Transportation’s bridge inspection program, including current conditions of the state’s bridges, FAQs and video of a bridge inspection, visit VDOT’s web site, http://www.virginiadot.org/info/Bridge.asp

Waterloo Road Bridge
Posted April 14, 2009, by James Gonzalski

This bridge has been reopened per a personal visit April 2009.

Waterloo Road Bridge
Posted December 5, 2008, by Anonymous

http://www.starexponent.com/cse/news/local/article/accident_...