Rating:
4 votes

Adams Street Bridge

Wise County, Virginia

Photos 

Adamsstbridgefull

Bridge from railbed. Maytown tunnel is just beyond the bridge to the right

Photo taken by Bob Lawrence in December 2011

BH Photo #222497

Map 

Description 

The Interstate Railroad built this line between 1921 and 1922. Maytown Tunnel, just a few feet to the south of this bridge carries a 1922 date. Prior to the building of a new road to the north, this bridge would have connected two areas divided by the railroad cut.

Facts 

Overview
Half-hip Pratt pony truss bridge over old Interstate railbed on pedestrians
Location
Coeburn, Wise County, Virginia
Status
Open to pedestrians
History
Built unknown
Design
Half-hip Pratt pony truss, in a way. Built of 1916 Lackawanna rails over the now abandoned Interstate line from Coeburn to Miller Yard.
Dimensions
Total length: 100.0 ft.
Deck width: 13.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+36.93709, -82.46553   (decimal degrees)
36°56'14" N, 82°27'56" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
17/369491/4088896 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Coeburn
Inventory number
BH 50718 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Coeburn, Virginia (1)
Half-hip Pratt pony truss (503)
Open to pedestrians (4,214)
Owned by city (5,399)
Pony truss (16,182)
Pratt pony truss (3,637)
 Pratt truss (9,295)
Rail Truss (4)
Total length 100-125 feet (5,169)
Truss (32,778)
Virginia (1,216)
Wise County, Virginia (29)

Update Log 

  • August 17, 2018: New photos from Timothy and Joann Phillips
  • December 17, 2017: Updated by James Baughn: Corrected name of nearby tunnel to Maytown instead of Swede
  • September 9, 2013: Updated by Michael Miller: Corrected "Location"
  • December 27, 2011: Added by Bob Lawrence

Sources 

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Comments 

Adams Street Bridge
Posted January 3, 2012, by Gary H Phillips (gary [at] ghpassociates [dot] com)

This is a most unusual bridge. I have seen many uses of old rails in my life but never to this extent. I'd like to see better detail pictures of this particular bridge, if possible...

Adams Street Bridge
Posted December 29, 2011, by Bob Lawrence (blawrence1183 [at] embarqmail [dot] com)

Thank you for the comments. I've corrected the coordinates to show the correct map.

Adams Street Bridge
Posted December 27, 2011, by James Baughn (webmaster [at] bridgehunter [dot] com)

Agreed, this is quite a find. It looks like a Howe pony truss, or maybe even an adaptation of a Lane patent truss.

Adams Street Bridge
Posted December 27, 2011, by Nathan Holth

Very interesting and unusual find!