Industrial History

Monday, February 9, 2026

1886 Trail/C&NW Bridge over Pecatonica River near Ridott, IL

(Archived Bridge Hunter was broke; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

2015 photo by John Marvig via BridgeHunter

Facebook Reel

Same reel

For those who are bored of bridge photos, you can watch her dance.

Same Reel

BNSF/Milwaukee Sage Creek Trestle and Sage Creek Tunnel near Danvers, MT

Trestle: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Tunnel: (Satellite)

Davonte Pagac posted
Reaching back a long time, Dad would have been about 5 years old when the Milwaukee Rail came through Danvers. They had to build a trestle over several streams, one of the longest/tallest being over Sage Creek, which was pretty much in Dad's back yard. Additionally, they had to dig a tunnel between Danvers and Hoosac. He remembered going to the work camp in the evening, where a number of folks from the community would gather up all of the uneaten pies and food that the camp had left over, which sounded like it was substantial. Must have been quite an operation to construct all of that. I came across this picture on a site called smokstak.com, (I'm sure Gary is familiar with it), of the trestle being built. The caption states: "This is a great photo I own of the construction of the steel trestle over Sage Creek in Montana's Judith Basin, on the Milwaukee Railroad's new line from Lewistown to Great Falls in 1913. There is a locomotive providing steam as well as a donkey engine up high on the equipment providing winch lines for erecting the pillars onto the concrete pads below." Kind of a neat picture.
Rob Biggs: Google maps has a pretty good shot of the tressel, you can see each concrete pillar it sits on, and the shadow of the tressel shows on the ground. How long was the tunnel!?? I fpund ot on Google Maps as well, It looks like its a long one, maybe 1,500 feet or more??

2014 photo by Nathan Morton via BridgeHunter

Dennis DeBruler commented on Rob's comment
Found it: https://maps.app.goo.gl/hmLLqnUXvQpFPjcZ8
[The comment was declined with the feedback: "Your comment was automatically declined based on certain criteria in this group."]

I easily found the trestle and tunnel with this map.

1954/67 Lewistown Quad @ 250,000

When I noticed that the route still has tracks, I checked if BNSF owns this route. It does. I traced the route on Google Maps from Judith Gap through Danvers to the trestle and tunnel.

BNSF

Sunday, February 8, 2026

1985 Lindy C Boogs/#1 Lock and Dam on Red River near Brouillette, LA

(Satellite)

Shane's Snapshots posted
M/V Strong and M/V Fred Lee work on the lower miter sill in September 2022. Thanks to Jerrick for the pics and being a #shanesspotter.

Dennis DeBruler: Which lock is this?

Jerrick Dupuy: Dennis DeBruler lindy C boggs lock 1 on the red river

Dennis DeBruler: Jerrick Dupuy Thanks. I have learned about the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway. https://maps.app.goo.gl/BGRhh9Q5umYM2i5H6

The Lock was also closed Sep 28-Nov 18, 2023, because of a crack in a miter gate anchorage. [usace]

This map helped me find the L&D.

RightOfWayServices

hmdb

"Located on Red River 11 miles upstream from Marksville, Lock & Dam #1 is the first of five locks used to manage transportation from Shreveport to the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers.

"The Red River is 1,360 miles long and originates in the states of Texas and Oklahoma, carrying its distinct, reddish-orange sediment southeast as it flows through northern Louisiana. The river’s color comes from rust-colored soils—made up of sandstone, siltstone and shale—found in older Permian red beds in arid areas near the river’s origins. These sediments are visible in water, sandbars, river banks and alluvial farmlands in the Red River floodplain.

"The connection between the Red, Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers began long ago when the Red started flowing toward a large meander of the Mississippi. This meander (later called Turnbull’s Bend) intercepted the Red River, turning it into a tributary. The Atchafalaya River also eventually connected with the meander, becoming a distributary. In the mid-1800s, construction of a cut through the narrow neck of Turnbull’s Bend made navigation on the Mississippi more efficient. While the upper channel of Turnbull’s Bend gradually silted in and separated from the Mississippi, the lower channel—Old River—became an important connection between the three rivers.

"Today a series of levees, outlets, locks and dams provides river transportation, bank stabilization and recreational opportunities for the region. Located on the Red River 11 miles upstream from Marksville, Lock and Dam # 1 (also called the Lindy C. Boggs Lock and Dam) is the first of five locks that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers uses to manage transportation from Shreveport to the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers. Without these controls and constant efforts by numerous engineers and agencies, water transportation on the Red River in central Louisiana would not be practical or productive.

"Severe floods on the Red River in both 1948 and 2015 are significant reminders of the power of water in this dynamic river environment. And although the locks were not designed for flood control, positive water management through the system can have an effect on water levels near the river and below this lock.

"Visit Atchafalaya.org for more information about this site.

"This site’s geology/geomorphology: Holocene natural levee deposits of Red River"

The lock is 685' x 84' with a lift of 55'. [MontgomeryAdvertiser]

Is the lock so narrow because the river is narrow? The drone videos below indicate the USACE has a big problem with sandbars.

Atchafalaya National Heritage Area posted

❓ Did you know Lock and Dam #1 at the Red River is also known as the Lindy C. Boggs Lock and Dam?

🏞️ The connection between the Red, Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers began long ago when the Red started flowing toward a large meander of the Mississippi.

🌉 Today, levees, outlets, locks, and dams provide river transportation, bank stabilization, and recreational opportunities for communities along the Red River. Speaking of the color...

❤️ The Red River gets its name from the reddish-orange sediment it carries. The sediment comes from rust-colored soils made of sandstone, siltstone, and shale.

💧 Learn more on our Water Heritage Trail!

While looking along the Red River for the lock, I noticed that a stretch of the river is actually red.

Satellite

Drone video with just music.

2:57 video @ 1:25
Lock #1 Red River.

There is time to make drone videos because they are waiting on the dredge.

@ 1:39

A 5:48 drone video with different music

Abandoned/C&NW Bridge over Lick Creek

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

The trusses are from a bridge built in 1883. The trusses were moved here in 1921. The bridge was abandoned in 1997. [ArchivedBidgeHunter]

Street View, May 2012

I thought I saw pins in the bottom cord in the view above. But I see rivets in this photo. HistoricBridges and John Marvig describe this bridge as "an extremely old surviving example of a rivet-connected truss bridge."

HistoricBridges

"This bridge was built 1883 at Geneva, IL as Spans A&D of Bridge #66; these spans were moved here in 1921. I would assume the builder is Alden & Lassig, but I cannot confirm at this time. From what we have figured out, the original Geneva bridge had three truss lines on four spans (two long spans and two short spans). The outer truss lines were the "light" lines, the inner truss line between the two tracks was the "heavy" line. It seems that the two short/heavy lines were sent to Spring Creek, and the two heavy/long lines were sent to Lick Creek, along with the four light/short and four light/long truss lines. These were double trussed to make them stronger. The Lick Creek bridge has three spans, and the north and south spans are the "light" trusses, which were double trussed. The middle span is the "heavy" truss, which explains why it uses a conventional layout. I am still trying to figure out if the "heavy" trusses are original to the 1883 bridge, or were added later." [John Marvig via HistoricBridges]

We can more clearly see the use of rivets in this photo.

2015 photo by Steve Conro via BridgeHunter

Facebook Reel

Saturday, February 7, 2026

1938,1994,2020 Arrigoni and 1910 PW/NYNH&H Bridges over Connecticut River between Middletown and Portland, CT

1938: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

1910: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

PW = Providence & Worcester

NYNH&H = New York, New Haven & Hartford

1938 Arrigoni Bridge

User Denimadept via Wikipedia via ArchivedBridgeHunter_1938, License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike (CC BY-SA)

I tried to frame the Arrigoni Bridge with the NYNH&H Swing Bridge.

Boat View, Aug 2019

Taylor Hunt, Oct 2022

HistoricBridges
This 3428' (1045m) long bridge has two 600' (183m) spans.

Historic Bridge Foundation posted 11 photos with the comment:

The Arrigoni Bridge stands as one of Connecticut’s most important engineering landmarks and one of the most significant steel arch bridges constructed in the United States during the late 1930s. Spanning the Connecticut River between Middletown and Portland, the bridge represents a rare convergence of structural innovation, economic necessity, aesthetic ambition, and historical timing. Completed in 1938, the bridge was constructed during the final years of the Great Depression, when public infrastructure projects served not only transportation needs but also national recovery efforts and technological advancement.
More than a river crossing, the Arrigoni Bridge symbolizes a turning point in American bridge design, reflecting both the maturity of steel arch construction and the evolving relationship between engineering efficiency and architectural form.
Prior to the Arrigoni Bridge, the primary river crossing between Middletown and Portland consisted of an aging swing bridge that had become increasingly inadequate for modern traffic. Repeated flooding of the Connecticut River exposed the vulnerability of the old structure, with high-water events regularly disrupting transportation and commerce. The river itself, a vital navigable waterway, further complicated matters by requiring substantial vertical clearance for shipping.
By the mid-1930s, it had become clear that replacement—not rehabilitation—was the only viable solution.
The Arrigoni Bridge was designed as a twin tied-arch bridge, a configuration that allowed the structure to span the wide Connecticut River without the need for massive masonry abutments or extensive falsework in the water. The tied-arch system transfers horizontal thrust forces into the deck itself rather than into the foundations, an essential advantage given the river’s width and soil conditions.
Each of the two main steel arches spans approximately 600 feet, making the bridge the longest highway crossing in Connecticut at the time of its completion. The roadway deck is suspended from the arches by vertical hangers, allowing the arch ribs to rise gracefully above the river while maintaining a relatively shallow structural depth below the deck.
The engineering challenges were substantial. According to Engineering News-Record’s August 25, 1938 feature on major bridge completions, the erection of the Arrigoni Bridge required the development of an innovative cable tieback system that allowed the arch halves to be cantilevered outward from the piers without extensive temporary falsework in the river channel
This method dramatically reduced construction risk, minimized obstruction to navigation, and represented a major advancement in long-span erection techniques.
The success of this approach placed the Arrigoni Bridge among the most technically sophisticated bridges of its era.
Construction began in 1936 under the direction of the Connecticut Highway Commission. Steel fabrication was performed by Bethlehem Steel, one of the dominant structural steel producers of the period. The bridge’s erection sequence—documented in detail by contemporary engineering journals—demonstrated the increasing precision of 20th-century structural analysis.
Rather than relying on massive timber falsework towers rising from the riverbed, engineers erected each arch half outward from the piers using temporary cables anchored behind the structure. As segments were added, cable tensions were adjusted incrementally to maintain precise geometry. Once the two arch halves met at midspan, the structure became self-supporting and the temporary systems were removed.
This method dramatically reduced construction materials, shortened the schedule, and eliminated the hazards associated with river-based scaffolding. At the time, it was considered a textbook example of modern cantilever erection practice.
The bridge opened to traffic on August 6, 1938, at a total cost of approximately $3.5 million, a substantial but justified investment during the Depression era.
Beyond its structural efficiency, the Arrigoni Bridge possesses exceptional visual elegance. The sweeping steel arches rise prominently above the Connecticut River, forming one of the most recognizable silhouettes in the state. Unlike earlier heavy masonry arch bridges or utilitarian truss crossings, the Arrigoni Bridge reflects a growing belief that infrastructure should contribute positively to the visual landscape.
The bridge’s proportions—long horizontal deck balanced by tall, slender arches—create a sense of lightness despite its immense scale. The structure harmonizes with the wide river valley rather than dominating it, an intentional design goal emphasized by its engineers.
This aesthetic philosophy aligns with broader trends of the 1930s, when civil engineers increasingly embraced the idea that beauty could be achieved through structural clarity rather than ornamentation. The Arrigoni Bridge exemplifies this principle.
From a national perspective, the Arrigoni Bridge occupies an important position in the evolution of American steel arch bridges. It represents the mature phase of tied-arch design prior to World War II, combining advanced analytical methods with construction experience gained from earlier projects such as the Hell Gate Bridge and the Bayonne Bridge.
Unlike experimental structures, the Arrigoni Bridge demonstrated that long-span tied arches could be built efficiently, economically, and safely for highway use. The techniques refined during its construction influenced subsequent arch bridges throughout the United States in the 1940s and 1950s.
Few bridges of this era remain so intact today.
Today, the Arrigoni Bridge remains in active service more than eighty-five years after its opening. Despite carrying traffic volumes far beyond those anticipated by its designers, the structure continues to perform reliably, a testament to the quality of its materials and engineering.
Its preservation is significant for several reasons:
• It is one of the longest and most important Depression-era bridges in Connecticut
• It represents a rare surviving example of early tied-arch highway design
• It retains exceptional historic integrity
• It stands as a physical record of 1930s construction methods
Unlike many historic bridges that have been replaced or heavily altered, the Arrigoni Bridge continues to convey its original engineering intent and visual character.
The Arrigoni Bridge is far more than a crossing of the Connecticut River. It is a monument to American engineering at a pivotal moment in history—when innovation, necessity, and public purpose aligned to produce infrastructure of lasting value.
Its elegant twin arches, advanced erection techniques, and enduring service life place it among the most significant bridges in New England. As documented in contemporary engineering literature and proven through decades of performance, the bridge exemplifies the highest ideals of civil engineering: efficiency, durability, beauty, and service to society.
For Connecticut and for the broader field of historic bridge preservation, the Arrigoni Bridge stands as a reminder that infrastructure, when thoughtfully designed and well built, can transcend utility to become lasting cultural heritage.

Don Wurst: It also won the AISC "Most beautiful bridge" award.

Roy Guild: The design, engineering and construction of the bridge span were excellent. The Political pressures at the time caused the approach’s to the span on both sides of the river to be turned on to the main streets rather than continuing in a straight line and connecting with Rt. 66 near the railroad crossings on Portland - cobalt rd and Washington street. This has restricted the traffic flow across the span and choked both Main Streets.

1910 PW/NYNH&H Bridge

User Denimadept via Widipedia via ArchivedBridgeHunter_1910, License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike (CC BY-SA)

Boat View, Aug 2019

2014 photo by Chester Gehman via BridgeHunter_1910

1901 Closed Bolivia Road Bridge over Sangamon River near Bolivia, IL

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Note that there is a short pony truss span at the far end.

Photo by Dale Travis via BridgeHunter

2012 photo by Fmiser via BridgeHunter

Lois Munson posted three photos and three videos with the comment:

Historic Bridge in Illinois
Sangamon/Christian County
Built 1901
One of only 6 remaining Parker Through Truss bridges in Illinois
With Pony Pratt Through Truss approach.
Beautiful and unusual details that are rare on this type of bridge .
Bolivia Road Bridge
(if you google, you can find many more pictures and posts)
My pics and videos have snow.
Last photo by Nathan Holth

Ronald R. Turner: Another point about this bridge, or moreso its name and the name of the village nearby that it is named for.

In that area, the village's name is pronounced "BAH-liv-ee." A local resident told me that, and I did not know what to think!