Hope Mills Bridge

"Old Mercer Road Bridge"

Most Recent Visit To Bridge: July 1, 2006

Key Facts

Bridge Name	Type	Road	Location	City	Crossing
Hope Mills Bridge	Truss	Old Mercer Road	Mercer County, PA	Rural	Neshannock Creek

Technical Facts

Construction Date	Structure Length	Deck Width
1922	104 Feet	18.8 Feet

This is a six panel steel through truss with riveted connections. The bridge features v-lacing on the verticals and the bottom chord, and the portal bracing is a lattice design. The bridge's members are semi-massive, more so than the classic pin connected through truss, but not truly heavy like those found on Pennsylvania's U.S. and state highways. The weather was bad while I was at this bridge, but perhaps due to the lighter paint color, considering the light levels, I got a lot of decent photos. The photo gallery offers a lot for this bridge. This bridge proves that truss bridges built later in the truss bridge era can still have a quaint appearance to them, and blend into a forested setting like their pin connected ancestors.

Information and Findings From Pennsylvania's Historic Bridge Inventory

Discussion of Bridge

The 1922, riveted, single span, 104'-long, Pratt thru truss bridge is supported on ashlar abutments with concrete caps. The heavy trusses, designed to handle to high load capacity, are composed of built up members. The bridge has no innovative or distinctive details. It is a late example of a common technology used in Pennsylvania since ca. 1890 and built with frequency by both county and state highway bridge builders in the 20th century. Neither the bridge nor its setting are historically or technologically significant.

Discussion of Surrounding Area

The bridge carries 1 lane of a road over a stream in a sparsely developed, forested setting near Hope Mills. The area does not have historic district potential.

Bridge Considered Historic By Survey: No

Information From www.mercercotrussbridges.com Demolition Mitigation Website

The trusses of the single span, riveted Pratt Through Truss bridge are composed of heavy trusses designed to carry heavy loads. The abutments are ashlar, or dressed stone.