PACES FERRY ROAD BRIDGE - ATLANTA, GEORGIA

   

Paces Ferry Road Bridge, aligned parallel to the newer Paces Ferry Road Bridge in Atlanta, in Cobb/Fulton Counties in Georgia. Intersected-Paces Ferry Road over Chattahoochee River. Construction Date-1903. Structure Length-370', Main Span Length-140'. Structure Type: Two span, Metal pin-Connected Pratt Through Truss, Fixed. Builder/Contractor: Cotton States Bridge Company of Atlanta, Georgia. Rehabilitation Date-2010. Inventory Number-N/A. GPS: 33.858920, -84.454500. 

This bridge was built by the Cotton States Bridge Company, and this may be the only surviving bridge documented as having been built by this little-known bridge builder. The composition of the bridge's through truss span is traditional. This is one of the few pin-connected truss bridges in Georgia that is preserved; most surviving pin-connected truss bridges are abandoned. The bridge was bypassed by the newer bridge in 1974, with the historic bridge left in place for pedestrian use. 

JACK GLASS/JERICHO ROAD BRIDGE - BETHLEHEM, GEORGIA

Jack Glass/Jericho Road Bridge one Jack Glass/Jericho Road, approximately 4 miles SE of Bethlehem, in Walton/Barrow Counties, in Georgia. Intersected-Jack Glass/Jericho Road over Apalachee River. Construction Date-1930. Structure Length-79.7, Main Span Length-70.7'. Roadway Width-9.8'. Structure Type: One Span, Metal 5 Panel Rivet-Connected Warren Pony Truss, Fixed. Wood plank deck. Builder/Contractor: Leamon and Evans of Atlanta, Georgia. Rehabilitation Date-N/A. Inventory Number-29750150 GPS: 33.913540, -83.665280.

Note: This bridge is an example of a bridge that demonstrates the transition from built-up beams to rolled beams for use in bridge work. Earlier in the history of iron and steel bridges, built-up beams were employed because the mills were incapable of rolling beams as large as were needed for a bridge. As such, rolled beams would only be found for smaller structural elements on a bridge, and/or riveted to other rolled beams when forming a built-up beam. The Jack Glass Road Bridge, is different however. In this case, the largest beams, the top chord and end post, are rolled, while all the other smaller truss members are built-up beams. This suggests a period in which the mills were capable of rolling large beams, but at a higher cost, and such, built-up beams remained less expensive. As a result, with this bridge, builders selected a rolled beam for the top chord, which would have been stronger and more reliable than a built-up beam, while employing the less expensive rolled beams for the other members. (Sadly the bridge, several years ago, was closed to severe damage to end post and some verticals. Since then has deteriorated greatly.

JENKINSBURG ROAD BRIDGE - JACKSON, GEORGIA

Jenkinsburg Road Bridge, on Jenkinsburg/Indian Creek Road, approximately 5 miles SW of Jenkinsburg, in Spalding/Butts County, in Georgia. Intersected-Jenkinsburg Road/Indian Creek Road over Towaliga River. Construction Date-1937. Structure Length-101.7'. Main Span Length-101.7'. Roadway Width-17.4'. Structure Type: One Span, Metal 6 Panel Bolt-Connected Polygonal Warren Pony Truss, Fixed. Builder/Contractor/Engineer: Unknown. Rehabilitation Date-N/A. Inventory Number-25550200. GPS: 33.290800, 84.095160.

Note: Bridge was closed ca. 2022-2024 due to low weight limitations.

This bridge is an unusual example of a truss bridge using bolted connections for all field-attached connection points. Its design is very similar to an average truss bridge from the period with riveted connections, except that there are bolts holding the members to the gusset plates. During the late 1800s, pinned connections were the most common form of connection used on truss bridges because field riveting equipment and skilled labor was not available to erect the bridges on-site using riveted connections. Bolts were used sparingly, generally only to assemble segmented pieces of the larger shop riveted beams together, such as a top chord. As the 20th Century came forth, the field riveting became available, then riveted connections became common, and rivets were used for mostly everything until the 1960s. as such, bolted connections did not become overly popular until the 1970s. Otherwise, the bridge is traditionally composed, although the top chord and end post is a rolled beam rather that built-up.

GREAT FALLS ROAD/COLLINS RIVER BRIDGE - ROCK ISLAND, TENNESSEE

 

Great Falls Road/Collins River Bridge on Tennessee SR-287 in Rock Island, in Warren County, in Tennessee. Intersected- Great Falls Road (Tennessee SR-287) over Collins River. Construction Date-1889/1924. Structure Length-655', Main Span Length-246'. Roadway Width-15'. Structure Type: Metal 13 Panel Pin-Connected Parker Through Truss, Fixed and Approach Spans: Metal 10 Panel Rivet-Connected Parker Through Truss, Fixed. Spans: 1 Main Span and 6 Approach Spans. Builder/Contractor: Mount Vernon Bridge Company of Mount Vernon, Ohio and Nashville Bridge Company of Nashville, Tennessee. Engineer/Design-Eugene F. Falconnet. Rehabilitation Date-1924. Inventory Number-890Z0010001. GPS: 35.799810, -85.620110. 

Note: The bridge over the Collins River as seen today is configured from west to east as follows: 2 steel stringer spans, a five panel Warren pony truss, a 13 panel 1889 Pin-Connected Parker Through Truss Span, a 10 panel rivet-connected Parker Through Truss, a five panel Warren Pony Truss, and a steel stringer span. Presumably all spans except the Pin-Connected Parker Truss date to 1924. The 1924 truss spans are historically significant as representative examples of riveted truss spans built by an in-state bridge builder.

The bridge seen at this location was erected by the Nashville Bridge Company in 1924. However, the largest span of this bridge dates to a889, having been reused from a four span bridge in Nashville over the Cumberland River called the Hyde's Ferry Bridge or Bordeaux Bridge. One of the spans was also reused, but was destroyed in 2010 by a major regional flood. This bridge was over the South Harpeth River on Old Harding Road. The 1889 span is individually rare and significant as an extremely unusual variety of Parker Truss whose top chord has a very strongly defined elliptical arch shape. With the destruction of the other span in 2010, this is the only surviving span from Hyde's Ferry Bridge, and its design may be unique among surviving truss bridges in Tennessee and beyond.

PALL MALL BRIDGE - PALL MALL, TENNESSEE

 

Pall Mall Bridge/York Homeplace Bridge, on U.S. Rt-127, in Pall Mall, in Fentress County, in Tennessee. Intersected-U.S. Rt-127 over Wolf River. Construction Date-1940. Structure Length-159', Main Span Length-100'. Roadway Width-23.9'. Structure Type: Metal 5 Panel Rivet-Connected Pratt Through Truss, Fixed and Approach Spans: Concrete T-Beam Fixed. Builder/Contractor: J.M. Hickman Company. Rehabilitation Date-N/A. Inventory Number-25SR0280003. GPS: 36.542290, -84.961660.  

Note: The Bridge is located next the Sergeant Alvin C. York State Historical Park: Alvin York was a United States Medal Of Honor recipient, and the French Croix De Guerre, and considered a World War I hero.