Dewey Road Bridge

Most Recent Visit To Bridge: July 1, 2006

Key Facts

Bridge Name	Type	Road	Location	City	Crossing
Dewey Road Bridge	Truss	Dewey Road	Erie County, PA	Rural	French Creek

Technical Facts

Construction Date	Structure Length	Deck Width	Builder
1889	120 Feet	15 Feet	Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio

This bridge is an unusually designed example of the Wrought Iron Bridge Company. It is significant for having a skew to it, something not commonly found with the older pin connected bridges. The skew is very slight. The portal bracing is an a-frame design that the builder plaque is mounted inside this in an odd fashion. Original railings do not remain on the bridge. There is v-lacing on the verticals and under the top chord/end post.

The historic bridge inventory mistakenly lists the rail line south of the bridge. The line appears to be active, and it listed as an Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad line. The four-pronged connection detail they mention is the bottom of the vertical member as seen here.

Information and Findings From Pennsylvania's Historic Bridge Inventory

Discussion of Bridge

The 1889, pin connected, single span, 120'-long, Pratt thru truss bridge is supported on ashlar abutments with wingwalls. Verticals, end posts, and upper chords are built up. Lower chords and diagonals are eye bar. The bridge was built by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company, a prominent fabricator of metal truss bridges, and it has the company's distinctive hip verticals with four pronged connection details at the lower chord panel points. The bridge is historically and technologically significant as a complete, early example of its type and design.

Discussion of Surrounding Area

The bridge carries 1 lane of a 2 lane unimproved road over a stream in a sparsely developed agricultural setting. There are trees at all quadrants. A single abandoned Conrail (formerly Erie Railroad) track crosses the road at grade just to the south of the bridge. The farms in the area are undistinguished and vernacular, and do not have historic district potential.

Bridge Considered Historic By Survey: Yes