Carpenter's Flats Bridge

The Carpenter's Flats Bridge, also called the US-9 Ausable River Bridge, is a rivet-connected polygonal Warren through truss. It was built in 1940, and is a standard example of New York State’s plan for truss bridges of this size, which were built in large quantities throughout the state. Some of these bridges have been preserved, while many of them have been replaced, which has made them increasingly uncommon. Fortunately, this is one of the bridges that has been preserved, as it is one of the largest bridges of this type, both in span length and deck width.

The bridge was rehabilitated in 1994 and is about to undergo another large rehabilitation project. In its current state, the bridge is very susceptible to ice jams, and has been damaged many times. Therefore, the bridge is being raised 3 feet 6 inches to increase the clearance above the Ausable River. In order to achieve this, there will also be modifications to the bridge abutments and the approach roadways. The project also includes upgrading the bridge railing, steel repairs, and repainting the structure. The bids were opened on April 6, 2023, and the bridge was closed on July 11th. Construction is expected to be finished in the fall.

This is the second bridge at this location. This first one was built in 1913 when the rising popularity of the automobile necessitated the construction of a bridge. However, the first bridge was not funded or constructed by the local towns (which is the typical approach). Instead, Ausable Chasm, a nearby tourist attraction, funded the bridge to make it easier for people to get to the park. It appears that their plan worked, because many people used the bridge. By the 1930’s, the increasing amount of automobile and truck traffic necessitated the replacement of the bridge with something more substantial, and it was replaced by the New York State Department of Public Works. The bridge was originally green, but it was repainted as part of a rehabilitation project in 1994.