Skew arch

A skew arch is a method of cut stone contruction which enables a stone arch bridge to connect levels at different elevations, or to cross another road or obtacle at some angle other than a right angle. The construction requires precise stonecutting, as none of the cuts are right angles. The problem of building skew arch masonry bridges was addressed by many early civil engineers, including Benjamin Outram.

This brick skew arch forms a short tunnel to take a river through a railway emankment. Note the unusual angle at which the bricks of the arch meet those of the vertical walls.

Skew Arch Bridges

• Yalesville Underpass
• Allegheny Portage Railroad
• Seventh Street Improvement Arches
• Colorado Street Bridge (Saint Paul, Minnesota)