Ouaquaga Bridge

The Ouaquaga Bridge is a one of the best examples of a lenticular truss bridge in the country. It is a beautiful two-span bridge that crosses the Susquehanna River in a rural setting, which makes it stand out among the other bridges of this type. The majority of the remaining lenticular truss bridges are in cities, which makes it hard to really appreciate their unique shape. This bridge is also a very rare example of a skewed lenticular truss, with a skew of 15 degrees. Very few bridges of this type and complexity remain.

This bridge was built in 1888 by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company of East Berlin, Connecticut. It replaced the previous private toll bridge that was swept away in early 1888. The new bridge was jointly funded by the towns of Windsor and Colesville and was not tolled.

The bridge underwent a major rehabilitation in 1963. The original timber floor stringers were replaced with steel I beam stringers, and the timber deck was replaced with an open grate steel deck. In addition, the handrails were replaced, and a layer of concrete was applied to the abutments and pier. In 1977, the pier was badly damaged by a flood, and it was encased in a wider band of steel sheet piling and reinforced concrete.

This bridge was the last multi-span lenticular truss bridge in New York State to still be opened to traffic. In 2008, the Dutchtown Road Bridge was built adjacent to the Ouaquaga Bridge as a bypass bridge, and the old bridge was closed to traffic. It remains open to pedestrians and retains much of its historic integrity.