Photos: Red Arrow Highway Bridge

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View beside bridge from southeast quadrant.

Views beside bridge.

The practice of mounting Armco guardrails directly in front of the plaque happens all the time, and is of great frustration to historic bridge enthusiasts.

Railing damage.

Stringer detail.

View beside bridge from southeast quadrant.

Overview of the demolished bridge.

This last section is not of the Red Arrow Highway Bridge. Rather, these four photos are of the 44th Avenue road and slab, which were discussed in this page. The photos are a short sequential tour of 44th Avenue, starting east of the bridge, heading west.

#1: The road before the bridge. This is a swampland, and while it might make a great wildlife preserve, no humans live here and nobody wants to. There is only one house west of this photo and east of the paved 40th Street. There are no homes between here and the bridge west of here. Note the narrow, primitive condition of the road.

#2: The bridge in the distance. This zoomed photo highlights how much narrower the whole road is in contrast the the giant paved approach for the slab bridge. Imagine in contrast if there was instead a well-maintained 1882 stringer bridge with latticed railings off in the distance. What a pretty scene it would be, with the forest all around it!

#3: Almost to the bridge. Look at that narrow, pothole filled road leading up to what looks like an major highway! What is the point of having a giant two-lane bridge when the road leading up to it amounts to a one-lane trail? Remember... this is your money... your tax dollars that are used to build this. The preservation of historic bridges is not just a matter of maintaining culture and beauty. It is an economical choice that is less costly. Even if you do not care about historic bridges, seeing your tax dollars spent wisely should be something you do care about.

#4: Who does this bridge serve? Four houses. By the way, beyond the bridge, the road returns to a standard dirt road.