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Riverside Avenue Bridge (Greenwich)
Encyclopedia
The Riverside Avenue Bridge is the only cast-iron bridge in Connecticut
and one of a small number still in use in the United States
. It carries Riverside Avenue over the New Haven Line railroad tracks in the Riverside section of Greenwich, Connecticut
. The bridge was part of an earlier span built in 1871 over the Housatonic River
by the New York and New Haven Railroad
, and when that bridge was replaced, part of it was erected in Riverside in 1895. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Called "an important engineering landmark" by Cultural Resource Management, a periodical published by the U.S. Parks Service, the bridge carries one of the primary streets in this section of town, and is owned by the Connecticut state government.
, by the Keystone Bridge Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. Engineer F. C. Lowthorp designed that structure. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
, successor to the New York and New Haven Railroad
in 1872, replaced the river bridge in 1884 and, 11 years later, erected this span again in Riverside, adjacent to the Riverside train station
.
The double-intersection Pratt truss bridge is constructed of composite cast-iron and wrought-iron elements with decorative brackets and was considered both elegant and durable at the time of its construction. As locomotives increased in weight and as the weaknesses of cast-iron bridges became more apparent, the bridges were replaced. The bridge is a rare survivor from that era.
On September 29, 1977, the bridge was added to the national list of Registered Historic Places.
By 1986, vibrations and isolated corrosion in the trusses caused traffic officials and local residents to start worrying about its safety. (This was only a few years after the Mianus River Bridge
collapse on Interstate 95
just a few miles away).)
The original design documents couldn't be found, so engineers from Frederic R. Harris, Inc., relied on ultrasonics to determine the strength of the bridge, and the tests revealed that rehabilitation work was necessary. The design for the new work was later called an "innovative engineering solution" by Cultural Resource Management. To allow for the preservation of the distinctive appearance of the bridge while continuing its use for traffic, a new bridge was built inside the old one, with replacement of the existing wooden deck by a new, pre-assembled concrete structure which would carry all vehicular loads. Notches were cut in the steel crossbeams on the bottom of the truss, allowing a new concrete deck thick and strong enough to carry traffic safely but without significantly altering the look of the original truss design. But the original superstructure only carries its own weight.
The $2.7 million rehabilitation project began in August 1988. "Contractors carefully rolled the new girder system into place using one crane to pull the bridge and one to steer the bridge", according to Cultural Resource Management a publication of the U.S.National Park Service. As part of the work, the entire superstructure was cleaned and painted.
The bridge's design includes a number of innovations.
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and one of a small number still in use in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It carries Riverside Avenue over the New Haven Line railroad tracks in the Riverside section of Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
. The bridge was part of an earlier span built in 1871 over the Housatonic River
Housatonic River
The Housatonic River is a river, approximately long, in western Massachusetts and western Connecticut in the United States. It flows south to southeast, and drains about of southwestern New England into Long Island Sound...
by the New York and New Haven Railroad
New York and New Haven Railroad
The New York and New Haven Railroad was a railroad connecting New York City to New Haven, Connecticut along the shore of the Long Island Sound. It opened in 1849, and in 1872 it merged with the Hartford and New Haven Railroad to form the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad...
, and when that bridge was replaced, part of it was erected in Riverside in 1895. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Called "an important engineering landmark" by Cultural Resource Management, a periodical published by the U.S. Parks Service, the bridge carries one of the primary streets in this section of town, and is owned by the Connecticut state government.
History
The structure was originally part of a six-span railroad bridge built over the Housatonic in Stratford, ConnecticutStratford, Connecticut
Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. It was founded by Puritans in 1639....
, by the Keystone Bridge Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Engineer F. C. Lowthorp designed that structure. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
, successor to the New York and New Haven Railroad
New York and New Haven Railroad
The New York and New Haven Railroad was a railroad connecting New York City to New Haven, Connecticut along the shore of the Long Island Sound. It opened in 1849, and in 1872 it merged with the Hartford and New Haven Railroad to form the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad...
in 1872, replaced the river bridge in 1884 and, 11 years later, erected this span again in Riverside, adjacent to the Riverside train station
Riverside (Metro-North station)
The Riverside Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Riverside area of Greenwich, Connecticut via the New Haven Line.The station is 30.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal. The station has 324 parking spaces, 307 owned by the state...
.
The double-intersection Pratt truss bridge is constructed of composite cast-iron and wrought-iron elements with decorative brackets and was considered both elegant and durable at the time of its construction. As locomotives increased in weight and as the weaknesses of cast-iron bridges became more apparent, the bridges were replaced. The bridge is a rare survivor from that era.
On September 29, 1977, the bridge was added to the national list of Registered Historic Places.
By 1986, vibrations and isolated corrosion in the trusses caused traffic officials and local residents to start worrying about its safety. (This was only a few years after the Mianus River Bridge
Mianus River Bridge
The Mianus River Bridge carries Interstate 95 over the Mianus River in the Cos Cob section of Greenwich, Connecticut. The bridge suffered a 1983 collapse, killing several motorists. The replacement span is officially named the Michael L...
collapse on Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles in Connecticut from the Rhode Island state line to the New York State line. I-95 Southbound from East Lyme to the New York State...
just a few miles away).)
The original design documents couldn't be found, so engineers from Frederic R. Harris, Inc., relied on ultrasonics to determine the strength of the bridge, and the tests revealed that rehabilitation work was necessary. The design for the new work was later called an "innovative engineering solution" by Cultural Resource Management. To allow for the preservation of the distinctive appearance of the bridge while continuing its use for traffic, a new bridge was built inside the old one, with replacement of the existing wooden deck by a new, pre-assembled concrete structure which would carry all vehicular loads. Notches were cut in the steel crossbeams on the bottom of the truss, allowing a new concrete deck thick and strong enough to carry traffic safely but without significantly altering the look of the original truss design. But the original superstructure only carries its own weight.
The $2.7 million rehabilitation project began in August 1988. "Contractors carefully rolled the new girder system into place using one crane to pull the bridge and one to steer the bridge", according to Cultural Resource Management a publication of the U.S.National Park Service. As part of the work, the entire superstructure was cleaned and painted.
The bridge's design includes a number of innovations.
External links
- Web page about the bridge
- Riverside Avenue Bridge, Riverside Avenue over Northeast Corridor Railroad , Greenwich, Fairfield County, CT: 11 photos and 2 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey