The Mont Clare Bridge (also Phoenixville–Mont Clare Bridge) is a crossing of the

Schuylkill River The Schuylkill River ( , ) is a river running northwest to southeast in eastern Pennsylvania. The river was improved by navigations into the Schuylkill Canal, and several of its tributaries drain major parts of Pennsylvania's Coal Region. It fl ...

between Mont Clare and

Phoenixville Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northwest of Philadelphia at the junction of French Creek and the Schuylkill River. It is in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The population is 18,616 ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, USA. The bridge was also referred to as the Intercounty Bridge, as it connects Montgomery and

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

counties. The bridge abuts a shorter county bridge across the Schuylkill Canal and

towpath A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge. This mode of transport ...

on the Mont Clare side to complete the crossing. The crossing carries Bridge Street ( PA 29) and the

Schuylkill River Trail The Schuylkill River Trail ( , ) is a multi-use trail along the banks of the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania. Partially complete as of 2018, the trail is ultimately planned to run about from the river's headwaters in Schuylkill Co ...

History

Ford

In early America, the crossing was a

ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

known originally as Indian or Indiantown Ford. Then successively as Gordon's, Starr's and Jacobs' Ford. The crossing gained some notoriety as Gordon's Ford when it was used by American and British troops during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. In the fall of 1777, British troops under

Lord Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...

forced a passage at Gordon's Ford and at Fatland Ford, further downstream. In response,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

maneuvered the Continental Army further west to protect his supply line and the Congress, then in

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

. This left

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

lightly defended, leading to the its capture. Gordon's Ford is mentioned in the writings of both Washington and Cornwallis.

1844 bridge

In the winter of 1843–1844, local businessman Joseph Whitaker, while in the legislature, "obtained a charter for the incorporation of a company to erect a bridge over the Schuylkill at the site of th ford". That summer, a wooden

covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

was constructed, it was one of the longest in regional history. In early 1915, state highway engineers formally recommended to the County Commissioners that the bridge be replaced. Then fate took a hand and the covered bridge burned down on May 9, 1915. A temporary wooden replacement bridge was built on piles, just down stream from the previous, until the permanent replacement could be built.

1916 bridge

In December 1915, the

County Commissioner A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

s of Montgomery and Chester Counties requested sealed bids for a five span, concrete arch bridge. In 1916 construction started on the new bridge, which was completed in April 1917. The 1916 bridge was designed by B. H. Davis and constructed by Ambler-Davis Co. Each of the five concrete arches spanned , and the cost was US$103,250.

1997 bridge

In 1996 a contract was let to replace the 1916 bridge. The new bridge was designed by HDR, Inc.'s

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

office and Czop/Specter, Inc. of Worcester, Montgomery County, PA office. Construction was done by Allan A. Myers Inc. of

Worcester, Pennsylvania Worcester is an unincorporated community in Worcester Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Worcester is located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 73 Pennsylvania Route 73 (PA 73) is a long east–w ...

. Many design decisions were based on the requirement to keep the closure of State Route 29 to a minimum. The project was kept to a short time line by reusing the existing bridge foundations, using steel girders, and an incentive clause in the contract. The new bridge opened in 1997.Historical marker on 1997 bridge. The new bridge was the first in Pennsylvania to include "shock transmission units", an earthquake damage mitigation technology.

Schuylkill River Trail Connector

When Phoenixville opened their portion of the

(SRT) in 2015, it still left a gap between SRT segments west of Phoenixville and the exiting SRT between Mont Clare and Philadelphia. The sidewalk and unmarked bike lane, of the 1997 bridge, unofficially filled that gap for walkers and cyclists. But the sidewalk and bike lane were not built to trail standards. They would be congested during peak trail usage and were not protected from vehicular traffic. In September, 2012, the counties and regional planners had issued a Request for Proposal to study improving the pedestrian and bicycle "Connector" on the bridge. Initial plans for the Connector were presented at an open house on June 12, 2013, and were met with favorable opinions. In October 2019, construction started on the Connector. The sidewalk and bike lane were replaced with a level 10 foot wide trail segment and a concrete barrier was installed between the trail and the vehicle lanes. The original railing above the bridge edge was replaced with new railing. The new barrier was topped with the same railing on the Chester County half. The original December completion date was missed and then the project was further delayed by the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

pandemic. Although not completely finished, the Connector opened for use in the Summer of 2020. , there was still a section of the new railing missing.

References

External links

''Reading Eagle'' article on 1915 fire

HSPA Image of temporary bridge, ''c''. 1915-6

Postcard of 1916 "Intercounty Bridge"

''Modern Steel Construction'' Merit Award article (Photos)
PDF) {{Crossings navbox , structure = Crossings , place =

, bridge = Mont Clare Bridge , bridge signs = PA-29

, upstream = Rail bridge at Phoenixville
Black Rock Dam , upstream signs = , downstream = Dam at Oaks
Rail bridge at Oaks
Pawlings Road Bridge

Sullivan's Bridge Sullivan's Bridge is a trail bridge that connects the Schuylkill River Trail to Valley Forge National Park in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. History and notable features The bridge was completed as part of the U.S. Route ...

, downstream signs = Bridges completed in 1844 Bridges completed in 1917 Bridges completed in 1997 Bridges in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Bridges in Chester County, Pennsylvania Road bridges in Pennsylvania Bridges over the Schuylkill River Steel bridges in the United States Girder bridges in the United States