Wednesday, July 2, 2025

1936,1979 Main Street Bridge over Susquehanna River in Sidney, NY, 2006 Flood and I-88 Collapse

Bridge: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)
I-88 Collapse at Carrs Creek: (Satellite)

Delaware County Historical Association, NY posted
Today in Local History:
June 27 - 29, 2006 - Serious flooding affects region. 
Up to 14 inches of rain falls in Susquehanna Valley. Sidney, NY is seriously damaged and truckers are killed on flooded Interstate 88.
Photo shows a flooding Susquehanna River at Sidney.
Margaret Dyer: I remember that, it shut down roads and businesses. Plus, I88 collapsed.
[A collapse explains how trucks got wiped out. See some more comments at the bottom of these notes.]

This 385' (117m) long bridge has three spans of 125' (38m). [HistoricBridges]

The sandbar and shrubs would have been under water.
Street View, Oct 2015

The south span is now normally over land.
HistoricBridges

But the river channel used to go all the way to the south abutment.
BridgeHunter, 1942 image from a postcard
"This is an excellent example of a state standard pony truss presented in a less-common multi-span configuration. Although the height was increased with a steel tube added, the original sidewalk railing itself also remains intact on this bridge."

The thing that caught my eye in the description was "I-88." Did they run out of even numbers above 80 because Illinois also has an I-88. It is the East/West Tollroad. It was designated IL-5 when it was built. But then the speed limit was reduced to 55mph. Later, when they allowed higher speeds on Interstate highways, the route designation was changed from IL-5 to I-88 since it was built with Interstate highway standards.
Road Map

I added the "wwPA" label to these notes because I think of the Susquehanna River as a Pennsylvania river. When I remembered this town was in NY, I checked out how the river flows through Pennsylvania. A quick look at a map confirmed that the river flows across the Allegheny Mountains. I followed the river on a satellite map to see how it got across the mountains. Then I found this map that shows the route. The red symbol in the upper-right corner marks Sidney. The river flows West, and then East and then back West before it goes South and Southeast through a little bit of Maryland into the top of the Chesapeake Bay.
LivingAtlas

Glenn Skinner commented on the post at the top of these notes
I remember it well, this was my BIG truck & rescued pets, pulled floating cars out of the streets and much more. My truck here has bird cages in cab & gentlemen & his dog in the back.

Glenn Skinner commented on the post at the top of these notes
This was Carrs creek where one of the trucker's boxes ended up.
Mark Roberts: Glenn Skinner The tractor went under and out the outside. I remember seeing after they pulled it out, it looked like a ball of tin foil. 😢

Several comments on the post talked about the road closures. I didn't think much about it when I read them because I figured the water would soon go back down. But this document shows that some of the closures would have lasted for a while because they were closed because they were gone.
In the case of I-88, the culvert could not handle the flow. David Swingle and Patrick O'Connell were the truckers who lost their lives. [GribbleNation_1_year_later]
NYDOT, p1

The culvert wasn't just a couple of pipes; it was a concrete structure because another source talked about the state was planning on refurbishing the concrete floor of the culvert. And we can see remnants of the concrete walls in the disaster photos.
GribbleNation, Jim McKnight/AP
"You can see the remnants of the culvert in the center of the quiet stream turned rapids. The box trailer that is shown falling into the water would flow a mile downstream crashing into a bridge that carries NY 7 over the same creek."

This photo was taken soon after the collapse. GribbleNation stated that the erosion eventually took out the exit sign that we still see in this photo. Also, the water level is still quite high. Cars can turn around and go back to the nearest exit to get off the road. But how do you turn an 18-wheeler around on a 2-lane highway?
ResearchGate

However, the completion of a new culvert did not end the problems for I-88 at Carrs Creek. Earlier this year, NYSDOT had to let a contract to replace 8500 cubic yards of polystyrene fill that was used in the construction of the new structure. The fill was structurally failing as the new roadway began to sag. The fill is to be replaced by "expanded shale" at a cost of $1.1 million. The project is to end in July.

The polystyrene fill will be replaced by an "expanded shale" fill. The fill will come from a process that heats shale rock to 1000 degrees. A description by the DOT of the expanded shale is "The layers in the rock expand like popcorn and are baked by the heat, producing a material that is light, stable and strong."
On top of the fill will be three feet of asphalt.

1963,1990 Vincent Thomas Bridge over Los Angeles Harbor Main Channel in Los Angeles, CA

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

This 5991' (1.8km, 1.1mile) bridge has a main span of 1499' (457m). [BridgeHunter]

Brian Biekofsky posted
Bridges Now and Then shared

David Kimbrough commented on Brian's post

"The Vincent Thomas Bridge was determined eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Caltrans Historic Bridge Inventory Update of 2010. The bridge is eligible for engineering significance. In addition to being a rare bridge type of 'exceptional spant length, monumental scale and design complexity,' it is the first suspension bridge in the United States not to use rivets in its construction." [Gloria Scott comment in ArchivedBridgeHunter]

sindhu alisha, Aug 2022

Karin S., Mar 2024

"This bridge connects San Pedro, a district of Los Angeles but once a separate city, with Terminal Island. Terminal Island is a basically a very large sand bar at the mouth of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers which has since been turned into a completely paved island. No one lives on Terminal Island any more, it is eniterly given over to ship yards, train yards, coal storage facilities, a fish cannery (the sole survivor of what used to be many), sewage treament plant, etc. The bridge led to the demise of the ferry that used to transport people back and forth between San Pedro and Terminal Island." [David Kimbrohgh comment in ArchivedBridgeHunter]

Dan Wyman, Jul 2022

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

1951 Little Grassy Lake on Little Grassy Creek near Carbondale, IL, has been drained

(Satellite)

WFCN News - Swinford Media Group posted
WATCH: The drawdown of Little Grassy Lake is nearly 100% completed. Most of the entire lake has now been drained to allow for repairs to the Little Grassy Spillway. The process to drain the lake has taken several months. There’s currently no confirmation on how long the spillway repairs will take.
Brian Thomas: On the U.S. Fish and Wildlife web site they say this “This project is estimated to take five to seven years to complete.”

The traffic in the background is on the road that is on the dam.
@ 0:30

A "before" view.
Street View, Apr 2025

Google Maps calls it a hydroelectric plant, but I could not find a powerhouse on the satellite nor a capacity rating in search results.
Google Maps

"The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has issued a fish salvage declaration for Little Grassy Lake in response to rehabilitation plans for the Little Grassy Lake dam and spillway. 
The Little Grassy dam and spillway structure has aged beyond its engineered design life, and a complete lake draw-down is necessary to initiate repairs. The draw-down will render the fish population in imminent danger of loss. Salvage may be conducted from the date of the salvage declaration until April 1, 2026. Aquatic life may be taken by a person possessing a valid sport fishing license or a combination hunting and fishing license. Legal methods for taking any species of fish shall include two pole and line fishing only; anglers may also take carp, carpsuckers, buffalo, gar, bowfin and suckers by pitchfork, gigs, bow and arrow or bow and arrow devices. There are no daily or possession limits for any species during the fish salvage declaration. No fish may be cleaned on site, nor can any fish offal be dumped on the site." [idnr]

fws
"This project is estimated to take five to seven years to complete."

1936 CA-70 and 1909 UP/WP Bridges over North Fork Feather River in Tobin, CA

Road: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; HAERSatellite)
Railroad: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Street View, Apr 2025

HAER CAL,32-PLUM,1--3
3. Long distance view of highway bridge with Western Pacific Railroad bridge in foreground - Tobin Highway Bridge, Tobin, Plumas County, CA

ChicoPaperCompany (source: illegal copy (cropped watermark))

The railroad bridge is pin connected.
Street View, Oct 2022

The road bridge is a K-truss.
BridgeHunter_Road, 2010 Photo by Craig Philpott

1957/59 Pulga Quad @ 62,500

Monday, June 30, 2025

1913 11th and 15th Street Bridges over Thea Foss Waterway in Tacoma, WA

1913 11th: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; HAERSatellite)

1913 11th Street (Murray Morgan) Bridge


"Opened Feb. 15, 1913; rehabilitated 1957; closed 2007; rehabilitated 2012-3" [BridgeHunter_11th]

LC-DIG-highsm-50780, Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, cropped

"Significance: The City Waterway Bridge is an early example of a vertical lift bridge, designed by the renowned firm of Waddell and Harrington. Three features made it remarkable, if not unique among vertical lift bridges of the day: the unusually great height of the deck above the water; the employment of an overhead span designed for carrying a water pipe, and the fact it was built on a grade." [HAER_data]

HAER WASH,27-TACO,9-

HAER WASH,27-TACO,9-
7. MACHINERY ROOM LOOKING NORTH WEST BY 270 DEGREES - City Waterway Bridge, Spanning City Waterway at State Route 509, Tacoma, Pierce County, WA Photos from Survey HAER WA-100

PAN US GEOG - Washington no. 51, c1919
Tacoma tide flats from Tacoma Bldg. digital file from intermediary roll film copy

15th Street Bridges


There were two bridges named 15th Street, and some of the sources confuse the two. The bridge in the foreground carried just the NP. The bridge behind it carried the UP and 15th Street Bridge.
Digitally Zoomed from above panoramic photo

This topo map also provides an overview of the two bridges.
1961/62 Tacoma North and South Quads @ 24,000

Note that each lane of 15th Street was cantilevered on the outside of the railroad span.
May 18, 1957 @ 20,000; ARA550460010152
.

1914-1973 NP 15th Street Bridge


NP's first bridge here was built in 1892. [BridgeHunterIndex] It was replaced by this 1914 bridge.
The 1914 bridge was abandoned in 1973 "due to damage from an erroneously routed Boeing load, likely removed shortly thereafter."
 HABS WASH,27-TACO,6--50
50. 15th Street Swing Bridge (1914). Built by the American Bridge Company. - Union Depot Area Study, Tacoma, Pierce County, WA

A colorized version of the above photo.
Western Washington History - Now in Color posted
Built in 1914, Swing Bridge, 15th St, Tacoma
Mike Stella: Grew up in Tacoma. That is NOT the 15th St. swing bridge. That is not even Tacoma. Pretty lousy post!

Dennis DeBruler commented on Mike's comment
The post is correct, https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/wa0170.photos.168826p/. It was the NP Bridge. The UP+Road bridge was just south of this one.
.

1914-1983 UP+road 15th Street Bridge


BridgeHunter_191_ UP_15th

Rock Mill Covered Bridge over Hocking River and Rock Grist Mill

(Satellite)

The building on the left is a grist mill.
Street View, Aug 2024

The mill was built at a waterfall on the river. The covered bridge is in the center background of this view.
Charles Downs, Jul 2023

Alisa Woznuk, May 2023

Bruce Babcock posted
The story of the history of Ohio’s historic Rock Mill.

1:03:36 video @ 8:56

@ 58:30

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Ferry Service across the Mississippii River between Grafton, IL, & St. Charles, MO, and Lighthouse

Grafton: (Satellite)
St. Charles: (Satellite)
Lighhouse: (Satellite)

On the Illinois side: the lighthouse is on the left and the ferry is leaving on the right.
Street View, Apr 2025


Max Wawrzyniak posted
Grafton ferry today [Jun 20, 2025]
Eric Rice: Does anyone know when Grafton got a Ferry ? I don't ever remember one there when I was working on the river 29yrs ago .
Max Wawrzyniak: Eric Rice Grafton had a ferry way back in the '50s and '60s, and then did not have a ferry for a few decades, and then got a ferry again about 20 years or so ago, atlhough it is privately run, has been through at least a couple of ownership groups, has had periods of time when it did not run, and has always been kinda on the ragged edge of not making a financial go of it. Currently only runs weekends and only during the summer.
Eric Rice: Max Wawrzyniak Ok thank you for the info. that explains why I never saw one there we use to go by there gosh a gazillion times LOL. I worked mostly the Upper Mississippi river and Illinois river but also worked on the Ohio , The Lower , The Tenn. Missouri , Arkansas, nd Yahzoo. I just never remembered a ferry there now at Kampsville I remember that one up river a little ways. I probably worked my 20yrs. out there that they didn't have it . I remember Grafton before the flood of 1993 and it was a rip roaring little river town had the pleasure of tying up over on the Upper side of that Island waiting lock turn at old Lock & dam 26 there were like 160 some tows to come N/b. and about the same S/b. so we had 3 company boats and their tows tied together . We all loaded up in the yawl and went to the Rubles St. Bar and went down into the basement we kept hearing music and asked the bartender upstairs and she told us they had a live band downstairs down we went what a night that was LMAO... I also enjoyed when I got off the boats usually my homeport was Wood River , Illinois so I'd get off at Economy Boat Store and park my car there stop at the many fish stands before the flood of 1993 and have fish and beer or a coke . I miss that a lot !

Hayden Bland, Nov 2017

This shows that it can hold three lanes of traffic. I'm surprised that they let people out of their cars while they are still loading the ferry.
Laura Reagan, Jun 2024

It is a big enough ferry that it can handle heavy vehicles.
Gabriel Pope, Jul 2020

And of course, it can handle a bunch of small things.
Michael Shattuck, Jul 2020

L Grabb, Sep 2023