1936 Mt. Taylor Blvd. Bridge over San Juan River in Shiprock NM, closed due to flood

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

See Pagosa Springs for more information about the Oct 23, 2026, record flood.

Meteorologist Eric Graves posted

Water is so high in San Jaun County NM, that they have closed down the Shiprock Bridge. 

Over 20 water rescues have been performed since last night. More rain today 

📷 Navajo Police Department

This closure severs US-64 and US-491.

And it would be hard to detour around this bridge because other roads across the river are in trouble.

Meteorologist Eric Graves posted

Here is an aerial shot of the Farmington, NM flooding. The San Juan River broke the 117 year old record (1909). Rescues are in progress. More rain today.

📷 San Juan County Sheriff's Office

[This is looking eastish across Road 5500.]

Street View, May 2021

Normally, only a couple of spans are needed. But the photo at the top of these notes shows that sometimes all six spans are needed to accommodate the river's flow.

2016 photo by James F. Gentner via BridgeHunter

It looks like the new bridge used concrete instead of steel girders. I could not find a construction date for it.

Street View, Nov 2018

Trail/State Street & Lake State/PM Bridges over Cass River and Cities Service Gas Pump in Bridgeport, MI

Trail Bridge: (Satellite)

Railroad Bridge: (Satellite)

"Gas Station": (Satellite)

Lake State (LSRC) is a shortline that operates the former Pere Marquette route.

Is this "gas station" really a restroom? The trail bridge is in the left background.

Street View, May 2022

Before the building was spiffed up and landscaping was added.

Street View, Nov 2016

The pump is old enough to have a visible flow window.

Street View, Nov 2024

Trail/State Street Bridge

M, Dec 2022

Cindy Smith posted three photos with the comment: "Part Two of my trip to Bridgeport, Michigan. This is the State Street Bridge crossing the Cass River, a two-span, steel Pratt through truss bridge which was built in 1906, closed to traffic in 1972 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.— in Bridgeport, MI."

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[I think it is pin connected.]

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Lake State/Pere Marquette Bridge

Street View, May 2026

Cindy Smith posted
1909 Warren through truss (railroad) bridge in Bridgeport, Michigan I visited yesterday (taken from the two span Pratt through truss bridge right next to it—[next post].  I’ll put other views in comments!

Cindy Smith commented on her post
The bridge portal bracing: 1909.

Cindy Smith commented on her post
In this photo you can just see the two span truss to the left.

Henry Street Bridge over White River and Former GM Plant in Indianapolis, IN

(Satellite, the bridge is too new to show up on a satellite image. A Google Earth image below shows it.)

This was General Motors. There is not a street view that is recent enough to show Elanco Animal Health.

Street View, Jul 2011

Facebook Reel
[They talk about a bunch of collaboration spaces. Do they have quiet spaces so that one could get some work done? Or now days, does one just stay home to do quiet work?]

Google Earth, Aug 2012

Google Earth, Aug 2026

2 of 7 photos posted by Bridges & Tunnels by Sherman Cahal with the comment:

The Henry Street Bridge will carry automobiles, pedestrians, and cyclists across the White River between downtown Indianapolis and the White River Innovation District taking shape on the west bank. A concrete beam structure marked by the rings arcing above its deck, it is funded in part by the Lilly Endowment and anchors a larger investment in the west side of the city, including the new headquarters for Elanco. The district it serves is being built on ground that once held a General Motors factory. These photographs were made in July 2026, with the bridge near completion.

🧭 More photographs and the full history are available through the link in the comments. A visit helps support Bridges & Tunnels's ongoing work documenting these places through research, photography, and preservation-focused storytelling.

https://bridgestunnels.com/location/henry-street-bridge/

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BridgeTunnels
"In 2020, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation proposed the White River Innovation District as a mixed-use redevelopment of the former General Motors stamping plant site in Indianapolis. The District was later renamed LEVEE."

1878-2001 NS/Sou/CNO&TP/CS Saluda Grade

CNO&TP = Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific

dncr
"The three-mile-long grade that crests at Saluda is the steepest mainline, standard-gauge stretch of track in the nation. It rises an average of 4.7 feet for every 100 feet in length....Construction on the Saluda line in the 1870s marked the first use of convict labor on such a large scale....The goal was to provide a rail connection for Asheville with Spartanburg, South Carolina, and points to the south, one to complement the routes to Salisbury in the east, Murphy to the west, and Knoxville, Tennessee, to the north. By 2000 the tracks had been abandoned with traffic shifted to other routes."
[Location of marker]

Southern Railway Historical Association posted via Dennis DeBruler

Hot brakes! That’s what the cloud of smoke emanating from underneath the boxcar tells us. But that’s just a common side effect of descending a grade as steep as Saluda, which peaked at around 5%, much steeper than railroads generally prefer.

The brakeman is likely out of view inspecting the train as it passed, checking for hotboxes, sliding wheels, and dragging equipment, a common problem on a long and heavy grade like this. If any defects were found in this train inspection, the train would be stopping once it cleared the grade here in Melrose, which would allow for these to be addressed. Then, the retaining valves and brakes would be reset and the train would continue its journey toward Spartanburg.

Saluda grade, which was the steepest mainline grade in the US, was notorious for being difficult to control and was occasionally the site of runaway trains. In accordance with the special train handling rules for the grade at the time, all trains coming from Asheville would be descending the grade and would have stopped at the Stop Board at the top of the grade in the town of Saluda and had the retaining valves turned up and the brake pipes set to 100psi before departing down the grade. As soon as the train was rolling, the engineer was to set and release a 10psi brake application so that the retaining valves would retain the application in the brake cylinders, keeping the brake shoes against the wheels, but letting the brake pipe recharge. The engineer would then maintain a speed of 5-8 miles an hour descending the grade.

Richard Baldwin photo.

Looking at this map, I thought the grade was the three miles on the west side of Saluda.

1960/60 Knoxville Quad @ 250,000

But then I noticed that the two Runaway Track labels and the Sand Cut label are on the east side of Saluda. Note the road closures on US-176. All of the popups say "Closed until 2028." Have these segments have been closed since Hurricane Helene struck the area in Sep 2024?

Satellite

The runaway track would be the one that goes straight.

Drayton Blackgrove, Oct 2021, Runaway Track 1

The turnout would have to be on the side of a hill so that the mainline can continue to go down the grade but the runaway track can go uphill.

Andrew Raila ‘Bammers!, Dec 2024, Runaway Track 2

This shows the whole segment that NS abandoned and that is being turned into a trail.

safe_image for Norfolk Southern files for abandonment of Saluda Grade
"Idle since 2001, the former Southern Railway route was once the steepest mainline grade in America, with a 4.7% incline including a brief stretch at 5.1%."
Randall Hampton shared
They're just now doing the abandonment paperwork?  The trail conversion was funded a couple of years ago, at least.  I don't know why everything is moving so slow.

The 31.5 mile [51km] trail is evidently still in the planning stages. [SaudaGradeTrail]

Trail Suspension Bridge over Animas River in Durango, CO

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

teofilo Flickr, License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)

Joshua Davison, Jun 2022

Cora Hudson, Aug 2025

You can't see any of the above rocks during the Oct 23, 2026, flood. Although some rocks are creating some "lumps" in the water.

Robert Holmes posted three photos with the comment: "🌊🌊Animas at the Swinging Bridge! It is running at 7700 cfs at 530am. Level 7.17. Just below flood stage. Flood stage predicted at approximately noon today. There will be another foot of river rise!"

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[It looks like the water is up over the trail.]

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This book store is next to the bridge. When you play the video it is obvious that we are looking upstream.

White Rabbit Books & Curiosities posted

We’ve been closed for the past couple of days, waiting for this storm to wear itself out, and will remain closed likely through Sunday, as we get everything resituated and put the shop back to rights.

The Animas River is reminding us just how feisty she can be, leaping past 10,000 CFS, up from the sad little trickle she was just a couple weeks ago- the majority of that in the last two days. She’s made her way up onto the trail by the next building north of us, and is lapping at the concrete near us, too, but so far, so good for the bookshop.Oh, the humbling power of fast-moving water! It’s a great reminder that Mother Nature is very much calling the shots, and we’re all just along for the ride.

A million thanks to the three fine gents who helped me batten down the hatches and who have been keeping watch over the place while (being the commuter that I am,) I can only keep an eye on things from afar. You guys are the best.

So, hooray for some much-needed moisture, a deep bow to the mighty Animas, and a gentle reminder that impermanence is the way of things. Sometimes the best we can do is prepare, let go, and ride out the storm.

We’ll be back before long, with books to browse, curiosities to discover, and plenty of stories waiting to be found.

Until then, stay safe, stay dry, and stay in utter awe of it all, friends. We'll be back soon!

Facebook Reel

1902,2009 High Banks Bridge over White River near Yorktown, IN

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

Street View, Jun 2025

It is pin connected.

HistoricBridges
"This classic Camelback through truss bridge has been rehabilitated for continued vehicular use."
The 200' (61m) long span is 15' (4.6m) wide.

The rehabilitated bridge has a weight limit of 13 ton. [BridgeHunter]

2008 photo by Leah in comments of ArchivedBridgeHunter
"This bridge is being torn down. What a shame, truly."

Jan 2, 2009 comment by Anthony Dillon in ArchivedBridgeHunter:

GOOD NEWS.........

This bridge is being disassembled-not for storage or relocation, but it is to be restored and reassembled in place.

Ohio has been doing that with some of their spans, but this might just be a first in Indiana (for a steel truss bridge).

Anthony provided several photos in the comments of the assembly of the bridge. The truss was reassembled on land. The wooden deck was added after the truss was lifted over the river. The original cut stone abutments were reused.

2009 photo by Anthony Dillon via BridgeHunter

Photo by John Key via BridgeHunter

One advantage of the truss being assembled on land is that it is easier to get detail shots of the outside of the truss.

May 2009 photo by Anthony Dillon via BridgeHunter

1886+1902 E&LS/Milwaukee Kingsford Bridge over Menominee River

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

E&LW = Escanaba & Lake Superior

2012 photo by Nathan Holth via HistoricBridges

It is obvious that this is a three-hinged arch because the hinge at the crown is so explicit. 

Mark Boettcher, Nov 2025

Aerial view of bridge, September 10, 2020. Photo Credit: Doug Heim, Angelcopter, LLC via HistoricBridges

David Schauer posted
Our last shot from Monday's chase was our best, and a good way to end our long weekend in the Upper Peninsula. E&LS 400/600 crossing the Menominee River south of Iron Mountain with 35 cars of scrap from Alter Metal Recycling, which is located out of the frame to the left. Our long trip back to Duluth was made easier by listening to the Brewers beat the Dodgers. Kingsford, MI - October 12, 2026 Note: drone flight in restricted airspace was approved using LAANC.

Scott Best: Awesome! What's near by that area that makes the air space restricted!?

David Schauer: Scott Best Iron Mountain airport.

HistoricBridges
"The Historic American Engineering Record reported that the bridge is probably the second bridge at this location, since the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad reached Iron Mountain in 1886. A period article about the bridge stated that the previous bridge was a Pratt deck truss with a 225 foot span. A historical photo of the arch bridge under construction appears to show the previous bridge in the background as a double intersection Pratt (Whipple) deck truss."