Mystic River Bascule Bridge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009) |
The Mystic River Bascule Bridge is a bascule bridge, a type of drawbridge with counterweights, that spans the Mystic River in Mystic, Connecticut in the United States.
The bridge was designed by Thomas Ellis Brown of New York (formerly Chief Engineer of Otis Elevator Company) built in 1920 (see historical marker on site) by the J.E. FitzGerald Construction Company of New London, Connecticut and is of the Strauss Heel-trunnion type. It has a movable span width of 85 ft (26 m) and a total length of 218 ft (66 m). It has a movable span weight of 660 tons, with two concrete-filled counterweights, each of 230 tons. It is operated by the Connecticut Department of Transportation and connects the two halves of Mystic, allowing vehicle and foot traffic on Main Street (33 ft wide) in the center of the tourist district of town. The bridge carries U.S. Route 1 with an average daily traffic of 11,800.
It opens approximately 2,200 times per year, with each opening lasting approximately 5 minutes. The opening of the bridge is driven by two 40 horsepower (30 kW) direct current motors, each weighing 1,400 pounds (635 kg). The bridge is greased and inspected every 100 openings or every two weeks during the winter. From May 1 to October 31 the bridge opens at hourly intervals during daylight hours. Outside of this time it opens on demand.
