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This bridge was built solely to provide access to the Johnstown Incline, which provides transportation up to what was originally a Cambria Iron Company sponsored residential development called Westmont. It was also created in response to the 1889 Johnstown Flood, since this facility could provide a way for residents of Johnstown to escape to high ground in the event of a flood. The bridge and incline did indeed later serve this purpose in a 1936 flood. As such, this bridge is significant for its association with the flood response, and with the incline which is a significant engineering feat in its own right, and one of very few remaining examples of an incline of this size.
This bridge itself is significant as an example of an uncommon and complex truss configuration, the Pennsylvania truss. The bridge has a rather wide deck for an 1890 bridge. The length of the bridge is significant, although it falls short of the average length for this truss configuration. It may be that this truss configuration was selected to give the bridge extra strength to withstand any floods.
The bridge has been rehabilitated over the years and as such some of the original design integrity has been lost. The observant bridge enthusiast may note these alterations. However, the overall materials and design of the bridge remains intact. The cyclone fence present on the bridge is perhaps the most notable and unsightly modern addition to the bridge. It would be nice to see this replaced with a barrier that does not obstruct the view of the truss and its details.
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