Slade's Ferry Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Slade's Ferry Bridge was a steel swing
double layered truss bridge
that spanned the Taunton River
between Somerset, Massachusetts
and Fall River, Massachusetts
. It carried rail traffic on top and included a swing span to allow river traffic through. It was built in 1875 and removed in 1970. The site currently has a pair of transmission tower
s on each bank carrying transmission lines across the river.
The transmission towers have been located where they are currently ever since they were constructed. The site of the Slade's Ferry Bridge was north of the transmission towers. You can see the granite walls that remain which supported the bridge trusses on both the Fall River and Somerset side.
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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...
double layered truss bridge
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
that spanned the Taunton River
Taunton River
The Taunton River , is a river in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It arises from the confluence of the Town River and Matfield River, in the town of Bridgewater...
between Somerset, Massachusetts
Somerset, Massachusetts
Somerset is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,234 at the 2000 census. It is the birthplace and hometown of Clifford Milburn Holland , the chief engineer and namesake of the Holland Tunnel in New York City....
and Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
. It carried rail traffic on top and included a swing span to allow river traffic through. It was built in 1875 and removed in 1970. The site currently has a pair of transmission tower
Electricity pylon
A transmission tower is a tall structure, usually a steel lattice tower, used to support an overhead power line. They are used in high-voltage AC and DC systems, and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes...
s on each bank carrying transmission lines across the river.
The transmission towers have been located where they are currently ever since they were constructed. The site of the Slade's Ferry Bridge was north of the transmission towers. You can see the granite walls that remain which supported the bridge trusses on both the Fall River and Somerset side.