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Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| Donaldson Bridge | Truss | Creek Road | Washington County, PA | Rural | Raccoon Creek |
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Technical Facts |
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Construction Date |
Structure Length | Deck Width | Builder |
| 1901 | 83 Feet | 14 Feet | Nelson and Buchanan |
This bridge was built by Nelson and Buchanan, who built a number of other bridges in Washington County. It is a five panel Pratt pony truss with riveted connections. There is a slight skew to the structure. The bridge retains original railings, which are an unusual v-laced style railing that seems to show up on these Nelson and Buchanan bridges. The bridge sits on concrete abutments. There is v-lacing on the vertical members as well. Like most of the Washington County bridges, this bridge is open to traffic, and is in what I would call "fair" condition, meaning it is definitely time to restore this bridge before it plunges into a severe state of deterioration, a state it hasn't quite reached yet. Knowing Pennsylvania though, they probably will just demolish it, and turn this scenic area into another boring section of road.
The inventory listing mistakenly describes the abutments as concrete, when they are in fact stone with cement patching on one. Also, their assessment that this bridge is not historic is absurd, even if there were 25 truss bridges left in the county, which today there isn't.
Information and Findings From Pennsylvania's Historic Bridge InventoryDiscussion of Bridge The bridge carries a single-lane road over a stream in a sparsely developed, wooded setting. Discussion of Surrounding Area The skewed, single-span, 83'-long and 14' wide, riveted Pratt pony truss bridge is supported on concrete abutments. It was fabricated in 1901 by Nelson & Buchanan, who built many of the same design bridges in the county. It is an example of the standardizations of metal truss bridges that occurred by the late 19th century. The field connections are both bolts and rivets. Riveted field connections in Pennsylvania date to at least the late 19th century. Neither the bridge nor its setting are historically or technologically significant. There are over 25 metal truss bridges from 1887 through 1935 in Washington County. Bridge Considered Historic By Survey: No |
