Skip to main content

Inwood Iron Bridge - Lebanon County, Pennsylvania

Image
By

 


While the number of historic iron truss and metal truss bridges has been dwindling over the years due to several factors, occasionally a bridge will be preserved for its historical value. Such is the case of the Inwood Iron Bridge, which was built in 1899 and located near Lickdale, Pennsylvania. The Inwood Iron Bridge was fabricated by the Pittsburgh Bridge Company and erected by Nelson and Buchanan of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. It is historically significant as one of the oldest surviving Pennsylvania thru truss highway bridges in Pennsylvania. Early examples of Pennsylvania (Petit) thru-truss highway bridges from before the 20th Century were not common as the design was more often used for railroad bridges. Only a handful of such roadway bridges have been identified around Pennsylvania, making the Inwood Iron Bridge more historically significant.

The 151-foot-long Inwood Iron Bridge crossed Swatara Creek and was located not far from Swatara State Park in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Closed to traffic in 2006. After over 100 years of use, time and wear had taken their toll on the bridge, and the bridge had deteriorated to a point where it was no longer structurally sound to carry traffic. As the closing of the Inwood Iron Bridge had left only one method of egress for residents living along the east bank of the Swatara Creek, there had been considerations of rehabilitating the bridge. However, local officials noted the need for emergency vehicles, buses, and other heavy vehicles at this crossing and looked for ways the bridge could be rehabilitated to accommodate heavier vehicles. For the bridge to be able to accommodate heavier load capacities, it was found that many of the truss members needed to be replaced.

It was determined that the historic bridge could not be rehabilitated to meet the unique needs of modern-day traffic without significantly altering the bridge's character. Also, the cost of rehabilitation of the bridge to accommodate heavier loads exceeded the cost of a new structure. Fortunately, the Pennsylvania State Department of Transportation has a program in place that focuses on the reuse of historic metal truss bridges as pedestrian or light vehicular bridges on trails or in parks. Given the Inwood Iron Bridge's historic significance as one of the new remaining Pennsylvania thru-truss highway bridges, a strong case was made for its preservation. The land for a park was found about a quarter mile downstream from the bridge's original location on Iron Bridge Road thanks to a land sale of only $2.00 by a couple of residents. Thus, a small park was created for the bridge and efforts to move the bridge to the new location started in 2019.

In July 2019, the Inwood Iron Bridge was lifted off its original abutments and then disassembled. The individual bridge members were repaired or replaced at another location. After rehabilitation was completed and a fresh coat of paint was given to the bridge, the bridge was then reassembled at its new location at the Inwood Iron Bridge Park. A substructure, parking spaces, a short walking trail, and informational plaques were installed so the bridge park could be opened in 2020.

I visited the Inwood Iron Bridge Park in January 2004 during a trip through this area of Pennsylvania. You can easily walk along the bridge, or even under the bridge. Efforts were made for the bridge to be accessible for all ability levels. I feel that much consideration and care was given to restoring the bridge and honoring its historical significance. You can combine a visit to the Inwood Iron Bridge with another bridge nearby that was relocated due to its historical significance, the Waterville Bridge. This was a great pit stop for the explorer and bridge hunter in me.

Taking a walk down the restored Inwood Iron Bridge.

Checking out some of the unique features of this Pennsylvania thru-truss bridge.

Side profile of the Inwood Iron Bridge.

Taking a look underneath the Inwood Iron Bridge.

Bridge plaque on top of the bridge stating who had built the bridge.

The Inwood Iron Bridge at its former location upstream on the Swatara Creek. This bridge could be viewed from PA 72 when I took this picture in April 2009.



How to Get There:



Sources and Links:
Pennsylvania State Preservation - Bridge Preservation and Education: A Site Visit to the Inwood Iron Bridge
McCormick Taylor - Inwood Iron Truss Bridge Rehabilitation and Relocation
Labels:
Location: Inwood Iron Bridge Park, Swatara Township, PA 17038, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2018 Mojave Road Trip Part 2; The deadly desert highway (California State Route 127 and Nevada State Route 373)

By
After leaving Barstow via Old Highway 58 my next destination was in Death Valley.  To access Death Valley from rural San Bernardino County required a trek on north on Interstate 15 to California State Route 127 which becomes Nevada State Route 373 at the state line. Along I-15 I encountered the road sign oddity that is Zzyzx Road about eight miles south of Baker.   Zzyzx Road is a four mile road that used to go to the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa.   The spa was founded in the 1940s and the owner made up the name "Zzyzx" to claim it was the last word in the English Language.  The spa has been shut down since the 1970s and is now part of a Desert Studies Center for California State University. The southern terminus of CA 127 in Baker is located at I-15 exit 246.  CA 127 is a 91 mile north/south highway which runs to the Nevada State Line in Inyo County.  CA 127 is called Death Valley Road from I-15 northward.  South of CA 127 ...
4 comments
Read more

New Idria Road to the New Idria ghost town

By
New Idria Road is an approximately 21.5-mile rural highway located in the Diablo Range of San Benito County.  From Panoche Road to approximately 20.6 miles to the south the corridor is maintained as the paved San Benito County Road 107.  The remaining 0.9 miles to the New Idria ghost town are no longer maintained and have eroded into a high clearance dirt roadway.  Upon reaching New Idria the roadway continues south as Clear Creek Road which passes through the Bureau of Land Management owned Clear Creek Management Area.   The New Idria Mercury Mine claim was staked in 1854.  Following the theme set by New Almaden the community and mine of New Idria were named after the famous Slovenian mercury mining town of Idrija.  Following a slow start the mines of New Idria would boom and the community would reach a peak population of approximately 4,000 by 1880.  New Idria Road and Panoche Road were constructed to facilitate stage travel to San Juan Bautista...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's In a Name?: When the Roads Really Do Tell a Story

By
  Our tagline on the Gribblenation blog is "because every road tells a story". Some roads tell different stories than others. Along our travels, we may see historic markers that tell us a little story about the roads we travel or the places we pass by. Some historic markers are more general, as to telling us who lived where or what old trail traversed between two towns. During my travels across New York State and other states or provinces, I pass by many historic markers, some with interesting or amusing references to roads. I wanted to highlight a few of the markers I've seen along my travels around the Empire State and help tell their stories. Those stories may be as specific as explaining the tales of a tree that was used to help measure a distance of eight miles from Bath to Avoca in Steuben County, as referenced on the Eight Mile Tree historical marker above. They may also help point the way along historical roads first used centuries ago, or may help tell a local l...
Post a Comment
Read more