Wells Creek Bollman Bridge

Wills Creek Bollman Bridge
Wills Creek Bollman Bridge Wills Creek Bollman Bridge
Carries	Allegheny Highlands section of Great Allegheny Passage
Crosses	Scratch Hill Road
Locale	Meyersdale, Pennsylvania
Design	truss bridge
Total length	81 feet (24.7 m)
Width	13 feet (4.0 m)
Opened	1871
Coordinates	39.8183°N 78.9947°W / 39.8183; -78.9947

The Wills Creek Bollman Bridge originally served the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Pittsburgh Division main line.

Designed by the renowned self-taught engineer Wendel Bollman in 1871, this truss bridge is the last remaining span of the Pittsburgh Division line associated with Bollman. Around 1910 it was moved from Wills Creek to a location 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of Meyersdale, Pennsylvania after it was no longer able to carry safely the newer and heavier locomotives. It served as a vehicular bridge crossing CSX tracks on Summit Township Road. The bridge was relocated east of Meyersdale at Scratch Hill Road, Summit Township, on the Allegheny Highlands section of the Great Allegheny Passage.

The bridge employs a Warren truss design, rather than a Bollman truss, with which its designer Wendell Bollman was widely associated. It is 81 feet (24.7 m) long and 13 feet (4.0 m) wide. The east abutments are constructed of concrete, while the west are earthen with wood ties. This bridge has a wood deck, and ornate cast iron end pieces, lacework, and compression members. End posts and tension members are constructed of wrought iron.

The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 8, 1978.

References

• Historic American Engineering Record survey No. HAER PA,56-MEYER.V,2- .

External links

• Bollman Bridge, Meyersdale, Pa.
• Listing and photographs at the Historic American Engineering Record