Waterville Bridge

The Waterville bridge is one of only three lenticular truss bridges in the country that use a Warren truss configuration. It was originally built in 1890 in Waterville, PA. In 1985 the bridge was determined to be too narrow to carry modern day traffic. It was moved to Swatara State Park, where it continues to carry the Appalachian Trail over Swatara Creek.

The top chords, end posts, sway bracing members and diagonal web members are all constructed from a box-shaped section with lacing on the open sides. The lower chords are pin-connected eyebars. During the 1968 in-depth inspection, no fibrous surface was detected on the eyebars. This indicates that the structure is not constructed from the expected wrought iron, and is instead constructed from forged steel.

The bridge was originally constructed in 1890. It underwent its first major repairs in 1935, when steel stringers and floor beams were added. The deck was also replaced during the 1935 renovation, then again in 1954. In 1958 one of the end posts was severely damaged by fire. The repairs included reinforcing the end post with a section of ship panel, and replacing about 10’ of the bridge deck. There were no other major accidents, but throughout the years minor accidents cause numerous bent and sometimes broken portions of the members, including bent portals, broken sway frame struct, and bent hanger bars. The bridge was painted in 1961, and in 1977 the deck suffered a partial collapse and was replaced in 1978.

When the bridge was relocated in 1985, each member was labeled and disassembled. They were then transported to the shop where they were sandblasted, reinforced, and primed. They were then transported to the new site and were installed on the new abutments. A new wooden deck was added to match the existing condition, and the structure was painted.