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Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| Stonelick Williams Corner Road Bridge | Truss | Stonelick Williams Corner Road | Clermont County, OH | Rural | Stonelick Creek |
The bridge is a beautiful example of a pin connected Parker truss bridge, specifically the camelback style, having five parts to its polygonal top chord/endpost. It was constructed in 1904. There is v-lacing on the vertical members and under the top chord. Original railings do not remain on the bridge, and have been replaced with modern Armco railings. The deck is currently a metal grate style. The abutments are stone with some concrete repair done to them. I located Cambria steel stamps on the bridge. This bridge was in the 1950 "re-erected" according to a plaque on the bridge. I don't know if that means it was moved from some other location. I think it probably is just a fancy way of saying repairs were made to the bridge. Indeed, there are some modifications to the structure, particularly the replacement of the floor beams and the deck. The rest of the structure appears to have excellent historic integrity.
Stonelick Creek
This bridge represents what I beg other rogue road agencies like PennDOT in Pennsylvania for example to do with their historic bridges (although they never listen). Sometimes on this website it may seem like I am blind to the reality that sometimes truss bridges cannot serve modern needs. I am not blind however, but I stand strong to my believe that a metal truss bridge should never have to be demolished. There is always another solution. Often times it makes sense to build a new bridge at a location different from the one where the truss bridge is, to reduce a curve on the road or something. It happens frequently. Sometime a truss bridge must be replaced, and sometimes the funding to restore the bridge might not be available. Clermont County appeared to come to that assessment here with this bridge. They did the right thing however by simply leaving the truss bridge closed to traffic next to its replacement. This eliminated any demolition costs, and also leaves the bridge standing for the future. It is likely that five or ten years down the road people will suddenly realize what I have been saying all along: that our truss bridges are disappearing. At that point, I expect that a program like the discriminatory covered bridge preservation programs will be developed for metal truss bridges. At that point, funding may be available to restore this bridge for pedestrian traffic in its current location.
The Champion Bridge Company was in the bridge business in Ohio for a long time. This is an example of their impressive pin connected era work, having been built in 1904. They however continued to build truss bridges as late as 1964 in Preble County. I believe the company is still in business, although I don't know if they just do structural steel now, or if they still erect bridges. I suspect their bridges do not look very nice these days, and may look more like the slab of concrete next to this bridge. Speaking of which, if anyone who visits this website wonders why I call modern bridges "slabs" the new bridge next to this 1904 truss bridge should dispel any confusion over that matter. It is nothing more than a slab of concrete!
