Lynch Bridge

Map 

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Facts 

Overview

Lost Pennsylvania through truss bridge over Black River on Opelt Avenue in Town of Levis

Location

Town of Levis, Clark County, Wisconsin

Status

Replaced by new bridge

History

Built 1940 by Wausau Iron Works; Replaced 1992

Builder

- Wausau Iron Works

Design

Pennsylvania riveted overhead truss bridge.

"Of the four Pennsylvania truss bridges that were identified in Cultural Resources in Wisconsin, the state's manual for historic properties, the Lynch Bridge is one of only two that remain today. It is significant, therefore, as a rare example of this unique type of truss in Wisconsin. In addition, the bridge is significant because it was designed and built by a private [firm] at a time when the State Highway Commission of Wisconsin was designing virtually all bridges built in the state."
HAER Survey WI-63, 1989The Lynch Bridge was dismantled in 1992, to make way for a new bridge, and was reported to have been moved to a ranch out west somewhere. This leaves the Cobban Bridge in Chippewa County as the last Pennsylvania overhead truss bridge in Wisconsin.

Dimensions

Total length: 210 ft.
Deck width: 16 ft.

Also called

Opelt Bridge

Approximate latitude, longitude

+44.50200, -90.63600   (decimal degrees)
44°30'07" N, 90°38'10" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")

Approximate UTM coordinates

15/687927/4930349 (zone/easting/northing)

USGS topographic map

Columbia UTM 16.687878.4930127

Inventory number

BH 37055 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Update Log 

• August 3, 2008: Added by J.R. Manning

Sources 

• J.R. Manning - thekitchenguy [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
• HAER WI-63 - Lynch Bridge, Spanning Black River at River Road, Levis, Clark County, WI
• Clark County Press, Neilsville, Wisconsin - "The Good Old Days" by Dee Zimmerman, 2/22/1995, about the bridges of Clark County. Interesting article and great photos.

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