Wells Creek Bollman Bridge
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The Wells Creek Bollman Bridge originally served the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Pittsburgh Division main line. Designed by the renowned self-taught engineer Wendel Bollman in 1871, this truss bridge is the last remaining span of the Pittsburgh Division line associated with Bollman. Around 1910 it was moved from Wells Creek to the present location 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of Meyersdale, Pennsylvania after it was no longer able to carry safely the newer and heavier locomotives. It is now a vehicular bridge crossing CSX tracks on Summit Township Road. The bridge will be relocated east of Meyersdale at Scratch Hill Road, Summit Township, on the Allegheny Highlands Trail.
The bridge employs a Warren truss design, rather than a Bollman truss, with which its designer Wendell Bollman was widely associated. It is 81 feet (24.7 m) long and 13 feet (4.0 m) wide. The east abutments are constructed of concrete, while the west are earthen with wood ties. This bridge has a wood deck, and ornate cast iron end pieces, lacework, and compression members. End posts and tension members are constructed of wrought iron.
The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 8, 1978.
[edit] References
- Historic American Engineering Record survey No. HAER PA,56-MEYER.V,2- .
[edit] External links
- Bollman Bridge, Meyersdale, Pa.
- Library of Congress HABS/HAER catalog search (Enter "HAER PA,56-MEYER.V,2-" to bring up photographs and historic notes of the bridge.)
