Bear Tavern Bridge
Photo
Bear Tavern Bridge
Photo by Preservation New Jersey September 2009
License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike (CC BY-SA)
View this photo at preservationnj.files.wordpress.com
BH Photo #449643
Facts
- Overview
- Through truss bridge over Jacobs Creek on Bear Tavern Road (CR 579)
- Location
- Hopewell, Mercer County, New Jersey
- Status
- New bridge open; Truss portal and sway bracing widened then placed as non-functional decoration over new Valley Road bridge
- Future prospects
- Portions of superstructure incorporated as decoration into new bridge on Valley Road at Pleasant Valley Road near Howell Living History Farm
- History
- Built 1882 by the King Bridge Co.; rehabilitated 1950; closed to traffic Sept. 2009
- Builder
- - King Bridge Co. of Cleveland, Ohio
- Design
- Wrought iron, 6-panel, pin-connected Pratt through truss
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 70.9 ft.
Total length: 75.1 ft.
Deck width: 16.1 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 12.6 ft.
- Recognition
- Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
- Also called
- Jacobs Creek Bridge
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +40.29204, -74.84075 (decimal degrees)
40°17'31" N, 74°50'27" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 18/513535/4460183 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Pennington
- Average daily traffic (as of 2016)
- 16,175
- Inventory numbers
- NJ 1100060 (New Jersey bridge number)
BH 25353 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection report (as of August 2016)
- Overall condition: Good
Superstructure condition rating: Very Good (8 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Very Good (8 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Very Good (8 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 79.1 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com
Update Log
- July 7, 2019: Updated by Art Suckewer: Updated status including re-erection as decoration on new bridge on a different road
- June 12, 2019: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
- April 13, 2015: Updated by Art Suckewer: Updated status
- November 12, 2013: Updated by Luke Harden: Added category "Relocated"
- May 16, 2010: New Street View added by Nathan Holth
- October 28, 2009: Bridge is closed to traffic; updated history and design
Related Bridges
- Valley Road Bridge (Parts reused in)
Sources
- James Baughn - webmaster [at] bridgehunter [dot] com
- At historic Victory Trail in Mercer County, a new battle emerges at Washington's path
- Save The Victory Trail's Page For This Historic Bridge - Information and photos about the truss bridge are available here.
- Nathan Holth
- Geoff Hubbs
Comments
Interesting comments from the locals (below the political comments):
http://www.centraljersey.com/articles/2014/09/19/hopewell_va...
Totally unimpressive!!!
New bridge now open:
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2014/09/bear_tavern_bridg...
New bridge to open soon - i saw it the oher day, its a concrete slab. Article mentions that the old truss will be re-erected at the Howel Living History Farm which is a few miles away. Apparently it will be erected next to a 1972 concrete slab bridge that replaced a similar King truss bridge.
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2014/09/controversial_bea...
I think posting the link might help...
http://www.nj.com/times-opinion/index.ssf/2011/03/editorial_...
Most of the links with pictures are dead in the other posts are dead. Here is a large set of pictures that are still viewable. Can someone bring the pictures across to this website while the link still works?
The latest that I have heard is that the Bear Tavern Road bridge will be placed across Moore's Creek (same stream as the Hunter Road Bridge) adjacent to the bridge built in 1972 that carries Valley Road over Moore's Creek. Apparently there was a King through truss at this location prior to 1972.
Latest update; apparently, the truss will be put up at Howel Living History Farm. There is an 1890s Variety Iron Works pony already there.
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2013/11/mercer_county_fre...
Bridge was taken down after Hurricane Irene
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2011/09/mercer_to_begin_d...
It is in storage and may be installed near by sometime in the future.
Article on this span in the latest National Trust for Historic Preservation newsletter:
http://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2011/story-of-the...
Attached is a press release that provides information on efforts of local community to get this bridge preserved in place for continued vehicular use.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/nj/mercer/bear-tavern/
New bridge won an award. Old bridge is confirmed to be stored for future restoration and erection at the Howell Living History farm.
http://www.centraljersey.com/articles/2015/03/11/hopewell_va...
With a bit of luck there will be three historic bridges added to the three existing historic bridges in the valley.