1913,1993 Colorado Boulevard Bridge over Arroyo Seco in Pasadena, CA

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

HAER CAL,19-PASA,11--2
2. OVERALL VIEW OF BRIDGE, LOOKING NORTH. THE PIONEER BRIDGE CAN BE SEEN BEHIND THE OLDER BRIDGE. - Colorado Street Bridge, Spanning Arroyo Seco at Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, Los Angeles County, CA

"Significance: The Colorado Street Bridge is an eleven-arched reinforced concrete structure, the longest and highest bridge of its time. It was the first high bridge across the Arroyo Seco, and is an important visual landmark in Pasadena. Through its design and construction, the bridge represents the advancing concrete technology of the twentieth century and the ornamental aesthetic of the late nineteenth century. The Colorado Street Bridge was designed by one of the nation's foremost bridge engineers, and constructed by a well known California builder. The local community played an important role In planning and funding construction." [HAER_data, my emphasis in bold]

I added the "cement" label to these notes since this bridge was a landmark concrete bridge in terms of length and height.

Street View, Oct 2014

Carlos G. Lucero posted, cropped

In the arid southwest of the United States more than anywhere else, the growth of a city was dependent upon water. Pasadena was founded where it was exactly to take advantage of a reliable water supply, the Arroyo Seco ("Dry Gulch" in English). It was a reliable source of water in a rather dry environment.

However, the Arroyo Seco was also problem, it was deep in a steep sided canyon. This meant that Pasadena was physically isolated from its western neighbors. Travelers would have to make long detours passable crossing north or south of Pasadena.

This was finally changed by James Scoville. He had been the Vice President of the Elgin Watch Co., President of the Prairie State Bank, and a trustee of what would later be known as California Institute of Technology. He built a pleasure garden on the bluff above the Arroyo Seco which went down the slope of the canyon walls to the stream itself. There he built a small dam and pump house. The top of the dam served as the eastern abutment of a wooden bridge, the first connect Pasadena to the western side of the Arroyo. Scoville Bridge was still in service when the much larger and grander Colorado Blvd. Bridge was built above it.

[David Kimbrough via ArchivedBridgeHunter]

The Arroyo Seco doesn't supply much water today. Given the channelization, today it is a stormwater drain.

Street View, Dec 2024

California Historical Society CHS-7799 via USC Digital Library via BridgeHunter
"Scoville Bridge is visible beneath."

Pasadena Orange Growers Association via BridgeHunter

Postcard via LAist via BridgeHunter

Postcard provided by Mike Ward and Joe Sonderman via BridgeHunter, they uploaded a lot of postcards.

So which one is the suicide bridge?

Carlos G. Lucero posted
Infamous “suicide bridge” Pasadena California

1930 Cotter and 1905 MNA/MoPac/SIMS Bridges over White River at Cotter, AR

Cotter: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; HAER; Satellite)

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

MNA = Missouri & Northern Arkansas

SIMS = St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern

Street View, Jul 2023

Bridges Now and Then posted
Cotter Bridge, Flippin, Arkansas. (Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.)
HAER ARK,3-COT,1--5
5. VIEW OF CENTER SPAN OF BRIDGE FROM RIVERBED, LOOKING SOUTHWEST - Cotter Bridge, Spanning White River at U.S. Highway 62, Cotter, Baxter County, AR

"Significance: The Cotter Bridge is the only bridge in Arkansas known to be designed and engineered by the Marsh Engineering Company, a significant twentieth-century bridge-building company. Among the largest they ever designed, it is also an excellent example of the company's patented Marsh Rainbow Arch. A unique feature of the bridge is that it was constructed by means of a cableway, suspended across the river, over which all materials were transported to various parts ofthe structure. The Cotter Bridge was instrumental in making accessible a new region of the Ozarks, an important recreational area in the United States. It became Arkansas' first National Civil Engineering Landmark in 1986." [HAER_data, at the end of that webpage are some blueprints for this bridge]

Fredrick Garcia via BridgeHunter_Cotter

Street View, Jul 2023

HAER ARK,3-COT,1--4
4. LOOKING NORTHEAST, GENERAL VIEW OF BRIDGE

HAER ARK,3-COT,1--10
10. VIEW OF BRIDGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, SHOWING CENTRAL ARCH AND PIERS, WITH CABLEWAY ABOVE AND TOWER ON BACKGROUND

HistoricBridges_Cotter

"While the nearby state of Kansas may have the greatest quantity of surviving Marsh type rainbow arch bridges in the country, it is this single surviving example in Arkansas that is ironically also the greatest Marsh arch bridge. This bridge's impressive height over the waterway, enormous arch spans over the river (complimented by a single small arch span over railroad tracks), and the overall multi-span layout of this bridge that all combine to form what is the most impressive and historically significant Marsh rainbow arch bridge in the entire country. In a very real sense this bridge also represents the ultimate aesthetic potential of concrete in bridge construction. From every angle that this bridge is viewed it projects a profound beauty that is unmatched in more simple concrete bridge forms.

"Beautifully preserved, this bridge remains in good condition today. Repairs and replacements made, such as railing and lighting, are respective of the original bridge design."

[This is one of the few bridges that HistoricBridges rates with two 10s.]

MoPac Swing Bridge

The swing span is now over an island! I wonder how much further upstream steamboats used to travel on this river.

Street View, Jun 2014

Back when the channel was under the swing span.

Photo by Fredrick Garcia via BridgeHunter_MoPac

Photo by Nicky Elmore via BridgeHunter_MoPac

HistoricBridges_MoPac
"This bridge is unusual because it is fairly high above normal water level for a swing bridge. Most boats would be able to fit under this bridge. Today, the bridge is even more unusual because with trees growing under one of the swing span arms, and shallow water under the other, it is clear this river has not been navigable for large boats for a very long time!"

1931 McBee Rainbow Bridge over Holston River in Mascot, TN

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

The 785' (239m) long bridge has a main span of 222.5' (68m). "This bridge is among the largest rainbow arch bridges in the country. However this is not the only thing that makes it stand out; it is also extremely massive with enormous arch ribs. Among rainbow arch bridges it is also extremely rare for its skew. The bridge is a tied arch or bowstring type rainbow arch. It retains excellent historic integrity and appears to be in good condition despite heavy traffic including truck traffic. The bridge is the only rainbow arch bridge in Tennessee." [HistoricBridges]

2008 Photo by Calvin Sneed via ArchivedBridgeHunter
"Only example of an Open-Spandrel, Through Arch (Tied Arch--also known as a Bowstring Arch) entirely concrete bridge in Tennessee. Commonly referred to as a Rainbow Bridge."

Street View, Aug 2023

Wayne Wood posted
The McBee Ferry Bridge spanning the Holston River in Mascot, TN (just outside Knoxville) . It is a concrete through arch bridge named for the ferry it replaced.

1911,1918 Fernbridge over Eel River near Fortuna, CA, was largest concrete bridge

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

Bridges Now and Then posted
"Building Fernbridge (Fortuna, California) in 1911. When this 1320-foot bridge was built in 1911, it was referred to as the world’s largest all-concrete span. Also called Eel River Bridge, Fernbridge is listed on the National Historic Register for its engineering significance during the period of 1900 to 1924." (USGS)

BridgeHunter has the stats of 2408' (734m) long with a span of 195' (59.4m). It also provides a rehabilitation date of 1918. 

BridgeHunter

BridgeHunter

That strikes me as rather shallow arches.

BridgeHunter

BridgeHunter

BridgeHunter

BridgeHunter, 2009 photo by Craig Philpott

BridgeHunter, 2018 photo by Mike Goff

I wonder what rehabilitation work was needed just 7 years after it was built. I checked out Wikipedia. The work replaced wooden approaches with the current concrete ramps. I also learned that this bridge "is still the longest functional poured concrete bridge in operation in the world."

Hennepin Canal Aqueduct #7 and Lock #25 west of Geneseo, IL

Aqueduct: (Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

Lock: (Satellite)

Hennepin Canal Overview

Hennepin Canal State Park posted
Today's Throwback Thursday photo features the Mixing and Hoisting Plant at Lock 25, west of Geneseo.

This is how I found the lock. It is further away from IL-82 than other maps implied.

1934/34 Geneseo Quad @ 62,500

The aqueduct is intact.

Satellite

Holcim/Dundee Cement

(Satellite)

Street View, Oct 2022

Viv Rivera posted the comment: "Is there anything about the two silos that are there by calumet fisheries? I’d like to tell my kids more about them thanks in advance!"

Steve Malachinski: The silos belonged to a cement company. They received cement by railcar and transferred it into trucks.

[Several comments identified it as the Dundee Cement Company.]

Brian McCafferty: Believe Holcim/Skyway Cement (plant on 103rd Calumet River, west bank) recently owned them. Not sure if they still do.

Dennis DeBruler commented on Brian's comment
 Evidently Holcim does currently own it. That blue truck scale was added since I was last there.  wonder if they receive cement via lake freighter and/or barges because the rail service doesn't look intact. https://maps.app.goo.gl/SKXP5RxGHzbspRSo8

Dennis DeBruler commented on Brian's comment
An Oct 2022 street view caught a truck on that scale https://maps.app.goo.gl/nXVwmnxxGMVbvn6n9 According to other street views, the weeds were cleaned up and the scale added between Jul 2019 and Nov 2021.

1816+1922,1996 Memorial Bridge over Connecticut River at Springfield, CT

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

HAER MASS,7-SPRIF,7-
3. General view from west river bank, looking southeast - Hampden County Memorial Bridge, Spanning Connecticut River on Memorial Drive, Springfield, Hampden County, MA Photos from Survey HAER MA-114

"Significance: The Hampden County Memorial Bridge's main span is the longest concrete deck arch span in Massachusetts. The bridge is a finely-engineered example of a rare self-supporting arch rib reinforcement technique, derived from the Melan tradition. Once encased in concrete, the steel arch reinforcing truss acts as a partner with the concrete in bearing the dead load of the structure. Although the deck is supported on spandrel columns, they are concealed behind a fascia spandrel wall, conveying the Impression of a solid structure. The consulting architects, Haven & Hoyt, embellished the structure with artificial stone, notably in the four pylons of the main channel span." [HAER_data]

enr (pay count), Photo by John Phelan, License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)

Photo by Doug Kerr via BridgeHunter

 

Kevin Lagasse posted
The Memorial Bridge over the Connecticut River looking north-ish. From the Springfield, MA side this past winter.

StructureMag
Hampden County Memorial Bridge looking west from Springfield, August 1922. Springfield viaduct in the foreground. 1816 covered wooden toll bridge upstream, in the process of deconstruction. A segment of railroad bridge is visible beyond. Courtesy of the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History.
"The Connecticut’s soft riverbed precluded solid concrete and masonry structures, and exposed steel arches were deemed unpleasing....The bridge, designed in the Beaux-Arts style, boasted seven parabolic concreted rib arches on six piers and two abutments that spanned 1,200 feet [366m] across the river. A nine-span viaduct of 314 feet [96m] over railroad tracks on the Springfield (east) side formed the Springfield approach."

This shows the arched steel trusses that will be encased in concrete. And this is another example of how a derrick holding a pipe was used to place concrete.

HAER_data, p13

StructureMag
"Bridge construction. Concrete hoisting tower (130 feet) shown. Concrete was transported from mixing plant on West Springfield side along a temporary wood trestle 70 feet upstream. Courtesy of the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History."
[This article describes the Melan system of using steel arches inside concrete.]

The Melan system significantly reduced the falsework because an arch truss was prefabricated as four segments, and then the truss could hold the forms for the concrete.

StructureMag
Arch erection in span 7, Springfield side. Courtesy of the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History.
"A total of 10,500 pine piles, 20 to 40 feet in height and spaced 20 feet on center on hard clay, form the foundation for six river piers and two abutments....The arch span lengths vary from 110 to 209 feet; the span rises from 19.1 to 29.7 feet. Marked by four 80-foot beacon towers, the channel span is 176 feet in width and 40 feet above low water over 60 feet."
'The Melan system fell out of favor in part as steel became more expensive and less available. More so, a better understanding of cement and concrete technologies, composite behavior, and the development of uniform codes and construction methods moved structures towards more efficient and economical bar reinforcement. The system experienced a rebirth in the 1970s which continues in Japan and China, where self-supporting arches are used to construct bridge spans in mountainous regions.'

Three of the five arches are concentrated in the center to support the streetcar load. [StructureMag]

HAER MASS,7-SPRIF,7-
7. View from under deck of west span, showing floor system, looking east

The four ornamental pylons are navigation beacons.

Street View, Oct 2023

enr (pay count), Photo by Matt Putzel, License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)
"A Midwest-style tornado struck the city in June 2011.  The tornado was one of the most powerful storms of its type to strike Massachusetts.  The Commonwealth does get hit by a few twisters annually, but typically they are weaker and short-lived storms.   This tornado's storm path was 37 miles long, touching down in Westfield and raking towns and forests to the east all the way to Sturbridge.  In Springfield, the damage path crossed a swath of the downtown, damaging or destroying hundreds of structures....Although much of Springfield was later pummeled, the bridge, itself, was not damaged.  A truck overturned in the wind, which was the extent of major impacts." It was an EF3 tornado.

Flickr1, Flickr2