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Plank Road Bridge

Plank Road Bridge

Primary Photographer(s): Nathan Holth

Bridge Documented: July 1, 2006

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Facility Carried / Feature Intersected
Plank Road (TR-517) Over Little Sugar Creek
Location
Rural: Crawford County, Pennsylvania: United States
Construction Date and Builder / Engineer
1895 By Builder/Contractor: Unknown
Rehabilitation Date
1993
Main Span Length
39.0 Feet (11.9 Meters)
Structure Length
41.0 Feet (12.5 Meters)
Roadway Width
13.5 Feet (4.11 Meters)
Spans
1 Main Span(s)
Inventory Number
207209051730110

Historic Significance Rating (HSR)
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Bridge Documentation

View Archived National Bridge Inventory Report - Has Additional Details and Evaluation

There are a few bridges in northwestern Pennsylvania that have been retrofitted with steel beams. There are pros and cons to this. Perhaps these beams, which add load-bearing strength to the bridge, do serve to help keep the bridge open to traffic longer, but they do not address the need for rehabilitation of the historic truss, allowing the truss to continue to deteriorate. The beams are large rolled i-beams set on top of the deck. There are holes in the top and bottom of the beam that a hanger goes through. You can see the hanger in the above photo to the left of the original hanger under the bridge. Essentially, the added beam and the original truss bridge's floor beams combine to work like a through plate girder. Also, the big beams do tend to visually obstruct the view of the attractive historic trusses. Solutions like this should be considered short term. A well-planned rehabilitation can bring the bridge back to like-new condition without the beams and can be cost-effective.

This little pony truss is noteworthy for its v-laced railings that you have to look behind the beam to find. Railings are usually lattice, although they do sometimes show up v-laced instead. The bridge itself is a half-hip Pratt that is composed of three panels.

Information and Findings From Pennsylvania's Historic Bridge Inventory

Discussion of Bridge

The pin connected, single span, 41'-long, Pratt pony truss bridge built ca. 1895 is supported on ashlar abutments with flared wingwalls. The traditionally composed trusses have no innovative or distinctive details. The upper chords and end posts are built up, the lower chords and diagonals are eye bars to facilitate the pinned field connections, and the verticals are laced angles. The fabricator and construction date are not documented in available records. The bridge is one of several nearly identical ca. 1895 pony truss bridges in the county. Sixteen pin connected Pratt pony truss bridges remain in the county with the earliest dating to 1889. It is the early examples and those with distinctive details that represent the significance and development of the technology. This bridge is not historically or technologically significant.

Discussion of Surrounding Area

The bridge carries 1 lane of a road over a stream in a sparsely developed, wooded setting that does not have historic district potential.

Bridge Considered Historic By Survey: No

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Maps and Links: Plank Road Bridge

Coordinates (Latitude, Longitude):

Search For Additional Bridge Listings:

Bridgehunter.com: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

Bridgehunter.com: View listed bridges within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of this bridge.

HistoricBridges.org Bridge Browser: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

HistoricBridges.org Bridge Browser: View listed bridges within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of this bridge.

2021 National Bridge Inventory: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

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