Woolsey Bridge (NRHP listed as Washington County Road 35 Bridge) was a
truss
A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure.
In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembl ...
bridge built in 1925, formerly located near
West Fork, Arkansas
West Fork is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, United States. The population is 2,317 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Northwest Arkansas region.
History
West Fork was incorporated as a city in 1885.
Geography
West Fork is located at ...
. It carried County Route 35 over the West Fork of the
White River for . It is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
History
The bridge is historic as the only surviving bridge in the area built in the camelback style. Engineered in a distinct way, the camelback truss is uncommon and this well-preserved example was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
on June 9, 2000.
Design
![Woolsey Bridge oblique view](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Woolsey_Bridge_oblique_view.jpg)
Bridge designers and engineers of the early 20th century had seen the
Pratt truss
A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...
prove itself as a durable and economically feasible bridge. The Woolsey Bridge was designed as a
camelback Camelback may refer to:
* riding atop a camel
* Camelback, a variation of shotgun house with a second floor in the rear of the house.
* Camelback (roller coaster element), a hump-shaped hill element found on roller coasters
* CamelBackCapitalizatio ...
through truss
A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...
design. The camelback is a modification of the Pratt truss by Charles H. Parker that features a top chord that is not parallel to the bottom chord. Although stronger in the center than parallel bridges, the style is less common due to its complexity. The Woolsey Bridge was likely built by a county workforce in 1925, possibly consisting of area residents.
Status
The bridge was closed to traffic in January, 2015 and a replacement bridge opened in 2018.The old bridge was disassembled and given to the town of West Fork with the intention it would be repurposed into a pedestrian bridge.
See also
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References
External links
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{{National Register of Historic Places
Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas
Transportation in Washington County, Arkansas
Bridges completed in 1925
Historic American Engineering Record in Arkansas
National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Arkansas
Pratt truss bridges in the United States
Metal bridges in the United States
1925 establishments in Arkansas
White River (Arkansas–Missouri)
Relocated buildings and structures in Arkansas