1886-1969,1997,2015 Washington Street Parabolic Bridge over Susquehanna River in Binghamton, NY

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; B&T; Satellite)

Street View, Sep 2019

booklet, p40

Berlin Iron Bridge Co. book via BridgeHunter

Description 

The South Washington Street Bridge in Binghamton, NY is a rare lenticular truss bridge of three spans. Built by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company in 1886 It is on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been restored and in now used only as a bicycle and pedestrian bridge linking downtown Binghamton over the Susquehanna River with the South Side of Binghamton. Addendum-Berlin Bridge Co. gives the build date as 1887 and the dimensions as 3 spans at 165' 24' roadway and two 6' sidewalks.

History and Significance of the South Washington Street Bridge 

Written by Michael Quiet

It seems fitting that Binghamton NY would host one of the finest examples of the lenticular through truss ever built, as this was also the hometown of the man who held the patent on the design, William Douglas. And a gracious host it has been over the years, as the bridge has been restored for pedestrian use since its discontinuation of vehicular traffic in 1969, and continues to be given regular maintenance, showing that the city and its population put value on this historic truss bridge. This bridge stands as an excellent example of how a historic span can continue to play an important role in a city even after retirement from vehicular traffic, and should serve as an example to others.

Fabricated in 1886, this bridge is (and was at the time) the longest lenticular bridge constructed in NY, and is the second longest remaining example of its type after the 5 span Aiken Street Bridge in Lowell MA. Like the other remaining examples this bridge employs pinned connections on its members and is fabricated from wrought iron. The abutments and piers are expertly crafted ashlar, which are still original and haven't been replaced/covered with concrete, further bolstering the historic appeal of this structure.

The bridge has all of the standard features for the Berlin Iron Bridge Co. including a decorative railing with iron rosettes, builders plaque, and although long gone now, portal cresting and cast iron finales. Also being built for city usage, the bridge features two 6ft pedestrian walkways on the outside of the trusses. Notable features include the 1885 patent strut braces in the first panels, the early use of the stylized portal bracing, and doubled-up eyebars on the lower chord.

On the last point, it should also be discussed that the bridge was built not only for heavy city traffic, but also supported Binghamton's electric trolley line. To accommodate this the bridge has been built up more then typical examples, including the aforementioned double pair of eyebars for the lower chord, built up box members for the vertical compression members, and relatively thick tension members.

As stated earlier the bridge was retired from vehicular traffic in 1969, and became a pedestrian crossing. Since then the bridge has received a major rehabilitation in 1997 which replaced the floor-beams (which replicated the shape of the original but are lacking the riveting work of the original), and a more minor rehabilitation in 2015 which included repairing railings, repainting, and re-decking the pedestrian walkways, demonstrating the care that the city extends this historic bridge.

[ArchivedBridgeHunter]

Wildia Andrilia posted eight photos with the comment: "The South Washington Street Parabolic Bridge in Binghamton, NY. One of my favorites to span the Susquehanna. Built in 1886, closed to vehicular traffic in 1969 and rehabilitated in 2014-17."

Metrotrails: Love lenticular trusses

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Erie Canal Lock #31 in Sprakers, NY

(Satellite, my guess based on the street view below.)

Erie Canal Overview

Matt Korona posted
Sprakers Ny Erie Canal lock 31 looking east

Christopher Freeman: The South wall is still visible on Rte. 5 S.

My guess of where the south wall is.

Street View, Sep 2024

Matt Korona posted
Sprakers Ny Erie Canal early 1900s

Mark Darrow: The hotel is now a church.

I had noticed that church when I was looking for the south wall. I don't normally include so much foreground, but in this case that was where the canal was.

Street View, Sep 2024

The canal was just south of 5S. Today's Empire State Trail was the West Shore Railroad.

1898/1954 Canajoharie Quad @ 62,500

Barge Canal #12 and Erie Canal #30 at Fort Hunter+Tribes Hill, NY

Barge Canal Lock #12: (Satellite)

Erie Canal Lock #30: (Satellite)

Erie Canal Overview

Barge Canal Lock #12

Street View, Aug 2022

Street View, Jul 2023

nycanalmap

Erie Canal Lock #30

The aqueduct over Schoharie Creek was just west of this lock.

Joel Torres posted two photos with the comment:

Enlarged Erie Canal[ LOCK30] 

 The Lock wall was still intact before it was dismantled in 1955 here on Main Street, Fort Hunter, N.Y.

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ErieCanal, this webpage has more images of the locks.
"Brown's store at Lock 30, Improved canal" -- p.12; from: Fort Hunter - "Canal-Town, U.S.A." / by David H. Veeder. (Fort Hunter, N.Y. : Fort Hunter Canal Society ; printed by The Noteworthy Co., Amsterdam, N.Y., c1968. --

1896/96 Fonda Quad @ 62,500

Was 1842 Erie Canal Aqueduct over Mohawk River at Crescent , NY

Whoops, about 30 seconds after I published this I discovered it was a duplicate. Please go here. If I remember, I'll delete these notes in a few days.

1939 US-431 over Green and Rough River at Livermore, KY

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

The Rough River is in the left foreground, and the Green River goes under the trusses.

Street View, Jun 2014

Koueul Woutan posted
This photo was taken by a friend of a friend visiting for Thunder on the Green 2018, if I am remembering correctly. Livermore, Kentucky is located at a point which once boasted "two rivers, two bridges, two counties." Two rivers, the smaller Rough on the left and the famous Green on the right, meet here and create a point of land between them. The Point is part of Ohio County, and requires driving a few miles down gravel roads to access without a boat. Years ago, it was used by the local Boy Scouts as a camping area, then it exchanged hands a couple times and is now privately owned. The land on either side of the rivers is part of McLean County. There is only one bridge now, and that is the US Hwy 431 bridge. Each end terminates in McLean County, but for a short moment, you are in Ohio County while crossing it. Just below the boat ramp to the left of The Point is a small column which used to be part of a rail bridge operated by Louisville and Nashville Railroad. It has a sister column on the right side, but that one has been overgrown by vegetation. The accessible one has been turned into a viewing platform with benches and a park built around it. A plaque about halfway up the stairs to the viewing platform is a marker noting the water level of the 1937 flood. The white silos in the lower right are the Perdue Feed Mill, formerly (and currently by some locals) known as Bungee. Some of you may remember the guy that posts the star from this facility around Christmas. less

Note that parts of 1st Street and the boat ramp were under water when this image was taken.

Satellite

trailsrus
"Has made it into Ripley's Believe It or Not for being the "only bridge in the world that starts in one county, crosses two rivers and a different county, then ends up back in the county in which it started"."

The Green River is not as brown as the Rough River. I traced the river to confirm that it flows North into the Ohio River.

2021 photo by Mark Yurina, cropped, via BridgeHunter

2009 photo by James McCray, cropped, via BridgeHunter

With the leaves gone, we can see more of the deck trusses.

2009 photo by C Hanchey via BridgeHunter

There is a steep grade up to the navigation span.

Street View, Sep 2023

Main and State Street Bridges over Barge Canal in Pittsford, NY

Main: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

State: (no Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Erie Canal Overview

The Main Street pony truss bridge was built in 1985. It is nice that NYDOT honored the historic significance of the canal, and built a truss bridge in the second half of the 20th century. They maintain an older truss bridge (Mitchell Road) a little east of Pittsford.

Main Street Bridge

Rochester Parks, Aug 2016

State Street Bridge

Street View, May 2012

Street View, Jun 2024

Tour Blend posted three photos with the comment: "The draining of the canal seems to be slow this year. Holiday preparations are underway and still the canal remains full, and beautiful.— at Schoen Place, Pittsford."

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[Looking West at Main Street Bridge.]

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[Looking Southeast at State Street Bridge.]

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[Closer to the State Street Bridge.]

1860+1909,1992 Rainbow Arch Bridge over Mill Creek between Reading and Lockland, OH

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; HAER; B&T; Satellite)

Street View, Dec 2022

HAER OHIO,31-LOCK,1--4
4. SIDE VIEW OF BRIDGE, LOOKING SOUTHWEST, SHOWING ARCHES, CANTILEVERED WALKWAY, DECK BEAMS AND STREAMBED - Benson Street Concrete Bowstring Bridge, Spanning Mill Creek at Benson Street, Lockland, Hamilton County, OH

"Significance: The Benson Street Concrete Bowstring Bridge is important because it may be the first example of a through bridge of this design to be built in America. It was constructed in 1909 (not 1920 as was once thought) and therefore predates James Barney Marsh's influential patent for a concrete bowstring by two years. Although designed by E.A. Gast, It actually may have inspired Marsh at the time when he was working on bis own designs. Concrete bowstring bridges were not generally popular in America until about 1920. The bridge is listed as a "reserve pool bridge" in the Ohio Department of Transportation's Ohio Historic Bridge Inventory Evaluation and Preservation Plan." [HAER_data]

HistoricBridges
"Historical photo of the previous bridge at this location, a Howe through truss with Phoenix columns, ca. 1860."

This explains why it is called the Benson Street Bridge in BridgeHunter, HistoricBridges, B&T and HAER. That is the street name in Reading. In Lockland, the street is named Wyoming Ave.

2014 photo by J.P. via BridgeHunter

Evidentially the falsework was needed until after the concrete in the arch cured.

HistoricBridges
The 100' (30.5m) long bridge has a span of 73' (22.3m).

Bridges & Tunnels posted two photos with the comment:

This unassuming concrete pony arch bridge, often called a rainbow arch, was the first of its kind in Ohio—and possibly in the United States. Designed by E. A. Gast and completed in 1910 between Reading and Lockland, it preceded James Barney Marsh’s 1911 patent for a comparable design.

🔗 Learn more about this bridge's history: https://bridgestunnels.com/location/benson-street-bridge/

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16:05 video @ 1:11
The Benson Street Bridge, Lockland, Ohio
This video explains that when the bridge was built, the street was named Benson in both towns. In 1912, Lockland changed their side to Wyoming Ave.