| Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date / Builder or Contractor |
| Old Zoar Bridge | Old CR-82 Over Tuscarawas River | Near Dover: Tuscarawas County, Ohio | Metal Pinned Pratt Through Truss, Stationary | 1883 By: Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio |
This bridge is one of the most unusual bridges in Ohio, and it has a very high level of historic significance due to its rare design. The bridge is in overall design a traditional pin-connected Pratt through truss, and with an 1883 construction date, is significant as an early example. However, it is a three span continuous bridge, making it an extremely early example of a continuous truss bridge. It is also rare as an example of a pin-connected Pratt truss bridge that is continuous. The pin-connected Pratt truss bridges which became a traditional standard and were built across the country during the last two decades of the 1800s were nearly always built as simple spans. The Old Zoar Bridge is a noteworthy deviation from this. It is unclear why the Wrought Iron Bridge Company built this bridge as a continuous structure.
Fortunately, the future of this historic bridge appears secure. The bridge has been preserved and is now in use as a non-motorized crossing.
The bridge has lattice sway bracing where each span meets, and on these sections, if you look closely, you can see that some of the lattice is made of angles, and where they were, they were bent and flattened at the ends to fit in between back-to-back angles. This is an interesting detail to note.
Overall, the preservation of this bridge appears to have been executed in an acceptable manner. However, there is one issue to note in the hope that future bridge preservation projects will not repeat a serious error. Original railings do not remain on the bridge. The most problematic issue with the quality of the preservation of this bridge is the current railings which are thick wooden boards. This type of railing has been a serious problem because so many truss bridges use this in a preservation project. This should be considered an unacceptable installation because there are numerous alternatives that provide a reasonable amount of safety while also not obstructing the view of the historic superstructure.
