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| Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date and Builder/Engineer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Elkhorn City Bridge West
Bridge Street Bridge | Bridge Street (Old KY-80) Over Russell Fork | Elkhorn City: Pike County, Kentucky | Metal 8 Panel Pin-Connected Camelback Through Truss, Fixed | 1912 By Builder/Contractor: Champion Bridge Company of Wilmington, Ohio |
| Technical Facts |
| Main Spans | Approach Spans |
| 1 | 2 |
This bridge contains an eight panel pin-connected camelback through truss with two seven panel pin-connected Pratt through truss spans. A plaque on the end of the bridge identifies the Champion Bridge Company as the builder and lists a 1912 construction date. As a three span truss bridge, this bridge is among the company's larger and more important surviving examples. The bridge is also noteworthy for having a pin-connected camelback truss span. Perhaps the most unusual thing however is that another similar bridge survives on the other side of the town.
The bridge is essentially abandoned and has been bypassed by a new bridge for quite some time although pedestrians can still walk on it. The bridge was converted for pedestrian use, however no additional work was done to the bridge. It connects downtown with a small railroad museum a short distance east of downtown Elkhorn City. It is a good example of reusing a historic bridge and yet not spending a lot of money to do it.
The bridge is unusual because despite a 1912 construction date, the bridge includes pin connections and lightweight truss members that are more like a bridge built perhaps 15 years earlier. One of the consequences of this later construction date is that the bridge is most likely steel. This seems readily apparent when looking at the condition of the bridge which is extremely poor, with some bottom chord connections displaying widespread 100% section loss to the point that some eyebars are on the verge of separating completely. The bridge, which does not appear to have had paint for a long time, likely has deteriorated so severely because the bridge is steel, which is far more susceptible to rust than wrought iron was. Given the condition of the bridge, restoration of the bridge would likely require dismantling the bridge and having to replicate a lot of parts on the bridge. Despite such a potential challenge, restoration is still something to consider given the significance of the bridge and relative rarity of such bridges in Kentucky.
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