Horton Road Bridge

Most Recent Visit: June 30, 2006

This Bridge Listed On www.oldohiobridges.com

Technical Description of the Horton Road Bridge

The Horton Road Bridge is a pin connected Pratt through truss bridge. It was constructed in 1899 by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio. The bridge is composed of seven panels yielding a total length of 129 feet. The bridge is seated on stone abutments. V-lacing is present on the vertical members, and sway bracing. The portal bracing is composed of a large section of tight lattice, and the knee braces are a decorative star and teardrop design characteristic of the King Bridge Company. The builder plaque does not remain on the bridge, nor do original railings, which have been replaced with modern Armco railings. Typical of Ohio, the deck is wooden with an asphalt wearing surface. There have been some repairs to the bottom chord connections on the bridge. The bottom chord connections are also the section of the bridge that is in the worst structural condition. The remainder of the bridge is in decent shape, and the abutments are in great shape.

A Discussion of Ashtabula County's Bridge Program in General

Ashtabula County disappoints me, since they appear to have fallen into the discrimination trap that plaques historic bridge preservation. This trap involves preserving covered bridges... even building new covered bridges to replaced historic metal truss bridges... and demolishing historically significant and aesthetically pleasing metal truss bridges. Such is the case with the Horton Road Bridge. Even more angering is the fact that a mile or two away from here, there is a one-lane wooden covered bridge on a paved road preserved. Yet this one-lane metal truss bridge on a narrow dirt road that looks like it sees maybe two cars a day is going to be demolished. They certainly can't use the standard excuses like "the bridge is too narrow and unsafe" or "there is too much traffic on this road for a one-lane bridge" because of the old covered bridge on a paved road near here. The planned demolition of the Horton Road Bridge is blatant discrimination. A beautiful structure, featuring decorative portal knee bracing, and a delicate pin connected design, this bridge is an asset to the surrounding area, which is a rather scenic scene of a Conneaut Creek cutting through a rock ravine. The bridge is also locally significant as an example of the King Bridge Company, who was based in nearby Cleveland.

There are fourteen pre-1920 metal truss bridges remaining in the county as of 2006, plus a Bailey truss. This includes a bridge that is one span covered bridge and one span metal truss. There were a couple additional King Bridge Company bridges a few years back, but both were demolished. Of those, two are currently listed for demolition, and the Bailey truss as well, plus one bridge that is going to collapse if nothing is done for it, for a total of four bridges doomed or in danger of collapse out of 15. This may not sound bad, but a number of the remaining not-doomed bridges have not been restored, and so they may eventually be doomed also. But even if these four bridges were the last to be demolished, it seems that the ones they are demolishing are among the most significant. Moreover, the number of preserved wooden covered bridges currently being used for tourism value is a whopping sixteen! The fact that Ashtabula already has less than sixteen metal truss bridges, and is still moving to demolish some of the remainder is a perfect example of how wooden covered bridges are treated like the only thing worth preserving. Even worse, some of the wooden covered bridges are not even historic. People are traveling long distances to see "historic covered bridges" and some of them are not even historic! Check this page out: http://www.coveredbridgefestival.org/bridges.htm and see the first bridge on their list was built in 1998! Wow, a wooden bridge that is not even a decade old. Worse, on that page you will find a listing for an 1986 Caine Road Bridge. To the best of my knowledge, that bridge replaced a pony truss that somehow ended up on Ohio's historic bridge inventory. Replacing a historic metal truss bridge with a modern covered bridge shows that no care is truly given in Ashtabula County regarding history. Four of the sixteen covered bridges are date to post 1980. In addition, one of the bridges, the Harpersfield bridge had a major non-historic modification done recently when a cantilevered sidewalk was added, drastically changing its appearance. This modification would, if done on a metal truss bridge, essentially forfeit any chance of the bridge being considered historic on a statewide historic bridge inventory. Not only does that modification show that Ashtabula County doesn't care about historic integirty of covered bridge, let alone metal truss bridges, it also shows that metal truss bridges have to pass a more rigorous checklist to be considered historic, which is unfair. Consider the ancient Coal Center Bridge in Pennsylvania, which was listed as non-historic for similar repairs and modifications.

These doomed metal truss bridges are historic, and they do bring tourism to the county as well. I know of two other websites other than my own which feature the Callender Road Bridge on their website, and that is only representative of people who who traveled to this bridge for website purposes. Who can say how many other people simply visited and photographed the bridge and didn't make a website? Who can say how many people just enjoy a drive across these metal truss bridges?