Pencoyd: (Satellite)
"Significance: The Manayunk Bridge's nine open-spandrel reinforced concrete arches follow an unusual reverse curvature, which earns it the nickname 'S-Bridge.' Towering over the town of Manayunk and the Schuylkill Expressway, the bridge is a prominent local landmark." [HAER_data]
Manayunk is a neighborhood in Philidelpha along the eastern bank of the river. Along the northern edge of the neighborhood runs the Schuylkill Canal that still has water.
The high tension power lines indicate that Pennsy had electrified this route.
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| Street View, Jul 2021, looking southeast |
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| Street View, Jul 2019, looking southwest |
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| HAER PA,51-PHILA,723- 16. LOOKING SW, BRIDGE CROSSING CANAL AND RIVER - Pennsylvania Railroad, Manayunk Bridge, Spanning Schuylkill Expressway (I-76), Schuylkill River & Green Lane, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA Photos from Survey HAER PA-551 |
"Significance: The Manayunk Bridge's nine open-spandrel reinforced concrete arches follow an unusual reverse curvature, which earns it the nickname 'S-Bridge.' Towering over the town of Manayunk and the Schuylkill Expressway, the bridge is a prominent local landmark." [HAER_data]
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| Bridges Now and Then posted and ShopCityMerch "Aerial views of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Manayunk Bridge spanning the Schuylkill River at Green Lane in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, c. 1918. Today, the bridge also spans the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76). Bridge was built by Philadelphia contractor T. L. Eyre in 1918. View looks southeast towards Manayunk from Green Lane, with the Green Lane automobile bridge also visible. Beginning stages of construction projects are visible on the west bank of the river at Green Lane. Image taken by the Aero Service Corporation" (Library Company of Philadelphia) Scott Mercaldo: That's definitely not c.1918. The Green Lane automobile bridge seen there opened in 1928, replacing an older, narrower bridge. https://digital.library.temple.edu/.../p15037coll3/id/85741/ [Note the gasometer in the background.] |
The Pennsy route is now a trail. The Reading route along the east bank is now a commuter railroad whereas the Reading route along the west bank is now NS.
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the bridge reopened on Oct 30, 2015, as a trail bridge. The trail is expected to help with the continued gentrification of a former industrial aera. [whyy]
"The project is a part of the circuit trails which includes 300 miles of completed trails in the region with an additional 50 miles in development." [CBSnews]
This is part of a plan to develop 750 miles of trails in Greater Philadelphia. [trails]
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| apconstruction "The Manayunk Bridge Trail is a scenic and practical recreational trail connecting the Cynwyd Heritage Trail in Lower Merion to Manayunk and the nearby Schuylkill River Trail." |
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| patch, (City of Philadelphia) The trail proved to be busy enough that in 2022 they added lights so that it can be open 24-hours a day. |
The lighting project cost $1m. [phila]
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| Manayunk The trails and canal are considered an important amenity for the community. |
I think this is the same bridge.
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| Hisjtoric Philly posted Philadelphia - Manayunk Canal & Bridge (1918) Bridges Now and Then shared |
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| Street View, Jul 2019 |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on the above post and share I think it is this bridge over this canal, https://maps.app.goo.gl/4nVVwQydNuDkeHid6 |
Pencoyd Bridge
And the Pencoyd Bridge is now also a trail bridge. [BicycleCoalition]
The trail is cantilevered on the side of the bridge because the bridge itself provides vehicle access to some buildings on the west side of the river. (A source implied that the cantilevered passage was always there, but it carried a horse&wagon road while the bridge carried an industrial spur.)
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| Street View, Jul 2019 |
This view shows that the trusses are skewed so that the piers are parallel to the flow of the water.
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| TaylorWiseman "The structure, originally built in 1900 as a railroad bridge, consists of two 183-foot truss spans and one built-up through-plate girder span." |
It looks like a pin-connected truss.
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| B ES, Mar 2020 |
Yep, it is pin connected.
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| wje "Constructed in 1900, the privately owned Pencoyd Bridge was built to carry an industrial spur of the Pennsylvania Railroad. In 2016, the bridge was rehabilitated to a one-lane, reversible private roadway providing vehicular access between the Royal Athena apartment complex in Lower Merion Township and Main Street in Manayunk." [Looking at the topo map, I don't see how this spur connected to the Pennsy. This source says it was built in 1894 by the Pencoyd Iron Works. But that source was ChatGPT, so I don't trust it. And the text is a good example of how you can use a lot of words but still say very little by repeating, several times, a few concepts.] |
The Pencoyd Iron Works used to be on the land between the railroad and the river.
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| MickRicereto |
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| ThisIsLowerMerion The iron works built the metal parts for the Main Exibition Building for the 1876 Centennial Exposition, then the largest building in the world. |
The remnents of the iron works have been gentrified as the Pencoyd Landing.
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| land-collective, this webpage has a lot more photos of the Pencoyd Landing |
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