BRIDGE RESTORATION PROJECTS IN THE SOUTH

THE BLACK WARRIOR (ESPEY) BRIDGE – NORTHPORT, ALABAMA

 We learned from Ken Willis last February that the City of Northport has obtained a T-21 grant to help relocate and rehabilitate this 1882 King bowstring, the oldest iron bridge in Alabama, to a site on the Northport levee system on the Black Warrior River where it will be part of a walking trail. Our family charitable gift fund has contributed to the effort, which is moving ahead. Check the Preservation section of our website under Alabama for more details and try http://www.tuscaloosanews.com for an article written by Lydia Seabol on February 16, 2005.

 HAPPY’S BRIDGE, MARION VIRGINIA

Scott Wilson, Project Manager for Thompson + Litton, sent us some additional pictures of the restoration underway of the 85 foot Pratt truss on East Chilhowie Street in Marion built by the King Bridge Company in 1885 and  known as “Happy’s Bridge”. Scott’s earlier pictures can be found on our website under Existing Bridges – Virginia. A restoration picture is shown below along with a photo we took while passing through Marion in October, 1999.

              Restoration underway    2005                               Before restoration 1999    

On July 28, 2005 the fully restored bridge was rededicated in a ceremony attended by 75 to 100 people and a number of old vehicles which paraded across the old structure.  The pictures below were sent us by Charlotte Sacre of T&L (csacre@T-L.com). An article in the Roanoke Times of 8/1/05 by Joe Kennedy describes the event. (www.roanoke.com/columnists/kennedy/index.html)