Kings Mill Bridge
History
Survey Report for Historic Bridges in TennesseeSignificant under Criterion C as an early, atypical Pratt truss bridge by the Champion Bridge Company. In April 1884 the Meigs County Court ordered that a contract be entered into with the Champion Bridge Company for $1,395 to erect the superstructure of this bridge. It is unclear if the substructure predates the truss or if the county contracted for it separately. Apparently, Champion completed the bridge by October since the court at that time ordered all warrants regarding the bridge to be paid (Meigs County Court Minutes Volume 9:63, 114, 318; Toplovich and Rogers 1981).
The King’s Mill Bridge contains one span, an iron 98.5-foot pin connected Pratt through truss sitting on masonry abutments. The bridge has a curb-to-curb width of 11.1 feet and an out-to-out width of 13.0 feet. Decorative features include lattice portal bracing, arched knee bracing with a single circle, and four finials. The composition of most members is relatively typical. Top chords and end posts are channels with battens. Bottom chords and diagonals are paired rectilinear eyebars. Verticals are small channels with lacing, except the hip verticals, which are paired rectilinear eyerods. Counters are single cylindrical tie rods. One unusual feature is the lateral bracing that connects at an angle on the side of the end post that connects near but not within the intersection of the strut and vertical. Another unusual feature is a horizontal tension member that spans the two center panels and then extends diagonally upward and joins the upper chord at its intersection with the hip length; at those points a circular metal piece is located in the vertical, and the tension member is bolted into each side. Apparently the additional tension member was not a cost efficient design and few
examples remain.
Facts
- Overview
- Pratt through truss bridge over Sewee Creek on Big Sewee Road
- Location
- Meigs County, Tennessee
- Status
- Open to traffic
- History
- Built 1884 by the Champion Bridge Co.
- Builder
- - Champion Bridge Co. of Wilmington, Ohio
- Design
- 6 panel Pratt through truss
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 99.0 ft.
Total length: 101.0 ft.
Deck width: 11.1 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 9.8 ft.
- Recognition
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on July 6, 1982
- Also called
- Henley Mill Bridge
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +35.57778, -84.75944 (decimal degrees)
35°34'40" N, 84°45'34" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 16/703023/3939429 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Decatur
- Average daily traffic (as of 2018)
- 20
- Inventory numbers
- NRHP 82004001 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
TN 610A0220001 (Tennessee bridge number)
BH 32641 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection report (as of June 2017)
- Overall condition: Poor
Superstructure condition rating: Serious (3 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 19.8 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com
Update Log
- August 20, 2018: New photos from Jack Schmidt
- June 8, 2017: Updated by Christopher Finigan: Added category "Pin-connected"
- June 7, 2017: New Street View added by Dana and Kay Klein
- December 24, 2010: Essay added by Eddie Douthitt
- July 25, 2010: Updated by Eddie Douthitt: Name
- March 10, 2010: Updated by Eddie Douthitt: Added Google Street View
- December 24, 2008: New photo from Eddie Douthitt
- December 22, 2008: Updated by Eddie Douthitt
Sources
- Eddie Douthitt - dalton1861 [at] yahoo [dot] com
- Dana and Kay Klein
- Jack Schmidt - jjturtle [at] earthlink [dot] net
Comments
Looking at the pictures with the article, it looks like he's pointing to the the hip verticals hanging from the pin.
My assumption from the text is that they mean to remove the pins and install (weld or bolt)washer shaped steel parts to the web of the beams that make up the sides of the upper chord because the holes in the upper chord for the pins are cracked. They will then reinstall the pins and verticals.
Of course, I could be wrong.
One of Eddie's photos shows the upper chord connection.
I hope their engineer expert is familiar with historic wrought iron structures. Maybe someone on the forum should contact them.
Hmmm... any experts reading?
I see TDOT had a daft response when the county asked why the bridge was closed when TDOT said "Its Old." What a dumb and unprofessional answer. The newspaper's description of the bridge and proposed repairs is also the most poorly worded description of a truss bridge I have ever read. I specialize in study of historic trusses and I can't figure out what they are talking about. Eight vertical support beams, four at each end? Do they mean the hip verticals? I think the bolts they talk about must be the pins, so perhaps they are saying the bridge will have some pin replacements?
Uh oh...
Closed, hopefully proposed repairs will not be too offensive:
http://www.dailypostathenian.com/news/article_d54a21a6-cecc-...
This is a beauty!
Next to the Martinsville Covered Bridge and a couple of unique bowstrings, this the oldest Champion Bridge Co. span that I've seen. Thanks Eddie for posting it.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/tn/meigs/610A0220001/
Rose new photos always appreciated!