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Key Facts |
Bridge Name |
Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| Hickory Bridge | Truss | PA-127 | Forest County, PA | West Hickory | Allegheny River |
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Technical Facts |
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Construction Date |
Structure Length | Deck Width | Builder |
| 1896 | 695 Feet | 16 Feet | Groton Bridge Company of Groton, New York |
The only thing that Pennsylvania and Preservation have in common is the same first letter.
Pennsylvania destroyed one of the most beautiful truss bridges ever seen, the Shanley Road Bridge, and they did not hesitate to deprive the world of this breathtaking bridge either. More so than with the Shanley Road Bridge, the surrounding scenery at the Hickory Bridge helps improve and compliment the aesthetic qualities of this bridge. PennDOT was required to make every effort to protect and preserve endangered species of mussels in the Allegheny River during the replacement of this bridge, which explains why this bridge was not demolished using explosives, and instead was cut apart and removed using cranes. IPennDOT was not required however to protect and preserve an equally endangered historic resource, a four-span pin-connected metal through truss bridge. It is highly disappointing that disappearing man-made resources are not protected with the similarly powerful laws that protect disappearing plant and animal species. The cost of high level of weakness present in current historic preservation policy has had a devastating, and irreversible effect on this nation's transportation heritage. It is imperative that lawmakers act to revise legislation before those historic bridges that are lucky enough to remain are lost forever as well.
The Hickory Bridge was a four-span through truss. It included a concrete approach at the east end, which appeared to be newer than the truss spans, perhaps dating to the 1920s and 1930s The bridge was supported by stone piers, with the exception of the westernmost pier, which had been replaced and was concrete. The sway bracing was latticed, and v-lacing was present on the bottom of the top chords. There was no v-lacing on vertical members. The bridge retained original lattice guardrails, with no modern railings added. Historic integrity was excellent, in other areas, including no major alterations to rivets and web members and chords. Floor beams were original as well. The bridge also retained large, extremely ornate builder plaques, which credited the Groton Bridge Co. with building the bridge. Indeed, this bridge was one of the largest and most important surviving examples of this prolific bridge company's work. This bridge was for a time a toll bridge when it was completed, and reportedly also originally served rail traffic.
The removal of this bridge and construction of an ugly slab of concrete to carry traffic here has ruined the awesome beauty that could once be seen here. Prior to demolition, this location might have been a highly recommended destination for tourists to visit, with scenic river and heritage bridge combining to form a worthy stop on a trip. Now, there is no bridge, and the beautiful river valley is obstructed by a modern slab of concrete that does not blend in with the environment whatsoever. Anyone planning a trip who is interested to see both unspoiled natural beauty and history and culture is advised to look somewhere other than the Allegheny River. Here at West Hickory, long bridge and tall river valley combined to create a unique scene. The loss of the bridge's has left a scar on the Allegheny River valley that will be felt for generations to come. The documentation of the Hickory Bridge on this website will hopefully serve to show these future generations what their elders deprived them of. As much as future generations deserved to have this bridge for their enjoyment, now they deserve to know what PennDOT took away from them, that PennDOT might be held more accountable for its senseless actions.
