| Key Facts |
| Bridge Name | Facility Carried / Feature Intersected | Location | Structure Type | Construction Date / Builder or Contractor |
| Chewton Bridge | Wampum Road (PA-288) Over Railroad (CSX) | Chewton: Lawrence County, Pennsylvania | Metal Riveted | 1922 By: Unknown |
| Technical Facts |
| Alteration Date | Structure Length | Roadway Width | Main Span Length | Main Spans | Approach Spans |
| 1975 | 319 Feet (97.2 Meters) | 23.3 Feet (7.1 Meters) | 153 Feet (46.6 Meters) | 1 | 4 Steel Stringer |
This six panel structure is interesting because it is a relatively early example of a state standard plan truss in Pennsylvania, because many more survive from the 1930s in the state. The design of this bridge varies from those 1930s structures a bit. One of the most notable unusual details is the pedestrian railings which are a variation of a lattice style. The vehicular lattice railing is more standard and is not the same as the pedestrian railing as the Historic Bridge Inventory claims. The sway bracing is an unusual design, featuring two rows of lattice, with each row having a different size.
The approach spans are not original, however the main truss span is original and it also retains original railings and good historic integrity. As a result, in the process of evaluating the significance and preservation of this bridge, only the main span should be considered.
Information and Findings From Pennsylvania's Historic Bridge InventoryDiscussion of Bridge The skewed, 5 span, 319'-long bridge consists of a riveted, 153' long Pratt thru truss main span built in 1922 and four continuous stringer approach spans placed in 1975 replacing the original T beam approach spans. There are modern safety shape barriers on the approach spans. The truss span is traditionally composed with built up members, and it does not have any innovative or distinctive details. The cantilevered sidewalk on the truss span is finished with a lattice railing, and the same railing is inside the opposite truss. The bridge was significantly altered in 1975 when the approach spans were replaced. Its original appearance and associative significance with the B & O have been lost. The truss itself is not significant as it is an example of common period technology. The bridge is not historically or technologically significant. Discussion of Surrounding Area The bridge carries a two-lane road and a sidewalk over two CSXT (formerly the B&O main line) tracks in a sparsely developed area north of the village of Chewton. The line was the B&O's 1870s route to Chicago, which supplanted much of an earlier and more circuitous route, and it played a primary role in making the B&O a major trunk line east of the Mississippi River. Bridge Considered Historic By Survey: No |
