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Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date / Builder or Contractor |
| Schell Bridge Northfield Bridge |
Northfield Road Over Connecticut River | Northfield: Franklin County, Massachusetts | Metal Riveted Cantilever Through Truss, Stationary | 1903 By: New England Structural Company of East Everett, Massachusetts |
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Technical Facts |
| Structure Length | Main Spans |
| 515 Feet (157 Meters) | 3 |
Be sure to review the HAER entry for this bridge. It has an extensive set of data pages that include a history of the structure and its builders, and also include a number images of the original bridge plans and the bridge builder advertisements, etc.
This bridge utilizes an unusual cantilever design that is certainly among the minority of bridge designs. They are similar because the cantilevered potion of the structure is below the deck - note the slightly arched shape of the bottom chords that end at the piers. The truss above is essentially an unusually shaped three span Pennsylvania through truss, that operates as a continuous structure. Truss bridges are more commonly individual simple spans rather than continuous spans. The only other bridge currently featured on this website that utilizes this continuous truss above and cantilever below design is Michigan's Blue Water Bridge. There are some other bridges out there that also utilize this design, but not many, and virtually none are as old as the Blue Water Bridge, let alone the 1903 Schell Bridge. The cantilever shape is nowhere near as defined on this bridge as on the Blue Water Bridge. The HAER data pages for this bridge note that the design of this bridge was similar to another bridge, Bennett's Meadow Bridge, which did not have the cantilevers. Cantilever bridges would have been a fairly new idea in 1903, and this bridge may represent the experimentation of engineers. Indeed, the engineer of this bridge, Edward S. Shaw, may have seen the design of the Bennett's Meadow Bridge and decided to try adding the cantilever supports. Thus, this bridge is historically significant as an early example of cantilevered truss bridges.
Visually, this is a striking bridge. Cantilever style bridges usually appear over larger bodies of water. This is a pleasing change from the usual to find such a bridge on a river the size of the Connecticut River in this area. Perhaps the most noteworthy visual asset is the stunning gothic portal bracing design, which is unlike any designs found on other truss bridges. The beauty of the bridge is also enhanced by extensive lattice and v-lacing on the various members, chords, and bracing on the bridge. Tall stone piers and abutments complete the image, creating a scene of beauty that should be a crime to destroy.
Despite this beauty and historic significance, the bridge has been on demolition lists for some time. Like Ohio's now-demolished Blue Rock Road Bridge, this is a bridge that is not in the way of a replacement structure. The government just wants to demolish it for the sake of demolishing it. This is a horrific idea both in terms of the senseless loss of history and beauty, but also in the waste of taxpayer dollars. It makes sense instead to put this demolition money towards a restoration. There is a shred of hope for this bridge, because a concerned group of citizens has formed to try to save the bridge. They are working to see that this bridge does not meet the cruel fate of bridges like the Blue Rock Road Bridge, and that it will instead be restored so that future generations can marvel at its beauty an engineering, a relic from the days when bridges were built to be beautiful, in addition to functional.
