Vinegar Hill Bridge

The Guilford Quarry Railroad Bridge is a pin-connected Pratt through truss that was built in 1902. It was constructed as part of a project to extend the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad from Savage, Maryland to the quarry in Gilford, Maryland.

This bridge is an unusual example of a skewed truss bridge, meaning that it does not cross the river at a right angle. Instead, it has a 35-degree skew with inclined end-posts. Skews were uncommon due to the added engineering and construction difficulties. In addition, this bridge is a late example of a pin-connected truss. Pin connected trusses were common in the 1880’s and 1890’s, but by 1900, most trusses used riveted connections. These connections were more rigid and allowed for heavier loads. There is some indication that this bridge was actually constructed in the late 19th century and was moved to this site in 1902, which would line up more with the typical practices of the time.

The bridge carried freight into the 1930’s and was abandoned for railroad use by 1940. At some point in the 1950s, a deck was added to accommodate vehicular traffic. It was later abandoned land the deck was removed (date unknown). The bridge was neglected and soon became overgrown with vines and was covered in graffiti.

In 2002, the bridge was rescued and rehabilitated by the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks. It is now part of the Patuxent Branch Trail.