Mercer Pike Bridge

Key Facts

Bridge Name	Type	Road	Location	City	Crossing
Mercer Pike Bridge	Truss	Mercer Pike	Crawford County, PA	Rural	Conneaut Outlet

Technical Facts

Construction Date	Rehabilitation Dates	Structure Length	Deck Width	Builder
1888	1938, 1944	83 Feet	17 Feet	Unknown (M.B.C. stamped on portal)

PennDOT Has Begin Planning To Demolish And Replace This Historic Bridge!

This bridge, with its beautiful and unique portal, may be the only existing example of its builder remaining in Pennsylvania and beyond. HistoricBridges.org is certainly not aware of any other bridge with the portal details of this bridge. Given this unique portal and other unusual details, this bridge should be considered to have a high level of historic value and given a very high preservation priority.

The bridge is a very beautiful truss bridge, and is one of the less common types of truss bridge in which the v-lacing of the bridge faces the road, rather than the ends of the bridge. What is most unusual about this bridge is the portal bracing. The knee bracing of the portal is formed from solid pieces of curved metal. These are mounted below a simple lattice beam that together creates the portal bracing. The knee braces have interesting designs on them, and they are not the same from left to right on each portal brace. On each end, the left hand side is an ornate, attractive design of some sort. The right hand side is the big mystery, as it appears to be a logo with a "M," "B," and a "C" on top of each other. One would assume they are the initials for the builder. It is a mystery, and if you know the answer, please contact us and clear up the mystery.

With the vast array of possible preservation-related uses for the bridge from continued vehicular use to non-functional on-land exhibit, and preservation methods ranging from in-kind restoration to structural bypass retrofit, there is no excuse from the demolition of this bridge. With so many options available, a solution can be found for a wide variety of budgets and project constraints. The key is a willingness on the part of the participating agencies to think outside the box and to exhibit an abundance of common sense. One need look no further than to the several other states such as New Jersey, Maryland, Indiana, and Michigan who have been able to successfully preserve numerous historic truss bridges despite a wide variety of obstacles that each bridge may have presented.

Information and Findings From Pennsylvania's Historic Bridge Inventory

Discussion of Bridge

The single-span, 83'-long and 17' wide, pin-connected, Pratt through truss bridge built in 1888 is supported on concrete abutments that were reportedly rebuilt in 1938 and 1944. The solid web portal braces has an "MBC" cypher in them, but research failed to identify the name of the fabricator. The floor beams have been replaced, and there are minor repairs to the truss members, but otherwise the bridge appears to be complete and a historically and technologically significant example of the important technology. The fabricator may be identified at some point.

Discussion of Surrounding Area

The bridge carries a single-lane road over the Conneaut Outlet Creek, also locally called the Geneva Marsh in a waterfowl management area. The creek drains the manmade Conneaut Lake, a major water feature of the area, into French Creek. The Lake was created as a public works project in 1932 when the Conneaut Marsh was dammed. The bridge at the inlet to the lake (BMS no. 20001901100000) has been determined by PHMC as not eligible.

Bridge Considered Historic By Survey: Yes