|
Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| Kensington Bridge | Truss | Dundas Street | Middlesex County, Ontario | London | South Branch Thames River |
This three span bridge is built to the same plan, and was probably built at around the same time as the skewed two span Ridout Street Bridge, also in London. At first glance this appears to be a normal Ontario pony truss, similar to the Beaverdams Bridge. I did not even notice that the bridge was very odd until I was home reviewing the photos. What truss configuration is this bridge? If your eyes meet the end of the bridge, you might say warren. If your eyes spot the center "x" first, you might say Pratt. A closer inspection reveals that this bridge is neither. Try tracing the v pattern from one end to another and at the fifth panel the pattern is broken. It can't be a Pratt or a Howe, since some of the members are in opposition to each other. So what truss configuration is it? I have no clue! Contact me if you do. For now, I guess I will label it a hybrid truss design. The rest of the bridge is easier to understand. It is a three-span pony truss with riveted connections. No v-lacing or lattice is present on any members. Lattice is present under the top chord. Knowing Ontario, this bridge may mot be as old as meets the eye. It would be as old as the 1920s but could also be as new as the 1960s. A marble date marker is set into the concrete, but had worn so much I could not read it, which was quite annoying. I shot a photo of it, check my photo gallery, I will gladly accept any interpretations of what the date looks like. The bridge is in excellent condition, and appears to have been painted fairly recently. The deck looks to have been redone recently also.
Technical issues aside, this a beautiful bridge, and because the city does a great job of keeping the Thames River looking wild and natural, has the feeling of a rural bridge in an urban environment, which further enhances the beauty of the bridge.
