Sakonnet River rail bridge
Encyclopedia
The Sakonnet River rail bridge was a swing bridge
built in 1899 by the Pennsylvania Steel Co. It was closed in 1980 after it was damaged by an overweight train loaded with military equipment. The swing bridge was left in the open position to allow boat traffic to pass but a barge ran into it in 1988. The bridge swing structure was removed in late 2006 and the supporting piers were demolished by explosion on February 9, 2007.
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
built in 1899 by the Pennsylvania Steel Co. It was closed in 1980 after it was damaged by an overweight train loaded with military equipment. The swing bridge was left in the open position to allow boat traffic to pass but a barge ran into it in 1988. The bridge swing structure was removed in late 2006 and the supporting piers were demolished by explosion on February 9, 2007.
External links
- Photograph of Railway bridge demolition February 9, 2007, courtesy Projo.com.
