Laurel Creek Bridge
NBI Information
Location
State: Virginia
County/City: Washington County
Feature Carried: Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail
Feature Crossed: Laurel Creek
Latitude, Longitude: 36.6322, -81.7863
Toll: N/A
Maintenance Responsibility: N/A
Structure Open, Posted, or Closed to Traffic: Open to Pedestrians
History
Year Built: 1880
Historical Significance: N/A
Year Reconstructed: None
Picture Date: May 2, 2022
Geometry
Lanes on Structure: 1
Lanes under Structure: 0
Skew: 0 degrees
Number of Main Spans: 1
Main Structure Type: Thru Truss
Main Structure Material: Steel
Number of Approach Spans: 0
Approach Structure Type: None
Approach Structure Material: None
Condition
Bridge is not on the National Bridge Inventory.
Bridge Information
The Virginia Creeper Trail is a rail trail that runs from Abingdon to Whitetop Station in Southern Virginia. The railroad was originally created in the 1880’s by the Abingdon Coal and Iron Railroad, in hopes of reaping the predicted profits in transporting the speculative iron ore out of the region. Unfortunately, this speculation was bad, and the project was abandoned after the rail path was completed, without track being installed or bridges being built.
In 1898, the right-of-way was acquired by the Norfolk & Western Freight Company, and they commenced building bridges and laying track. In 1900, the Virginia-Carolina Railroad was opened. It operated as a freight and passenger rail until 1962, when the new diesel trains replaced the steam trains. The line was officially abandoned in 1977, and it wasn’t until 1987 that the property was renovated and opened as a multi-use path.
Along the Virginia Creeper Trail there are 47 bridges. This particular bridge is Bridge 17 which is also called the Laurel Creek Bridge. It is a Warren Pony Truss and has a height of 18’-2” and a length of 407’-9”.
References
Forest Service: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gwj/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5312878
Virginia Creeper Trail: https://www.vacreepertrail.us/trestledata.html
