BridgeMapper News

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2010-03-08T11:06:00.003-05:00

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This blog has moved

2010-03-08T11:06:00.001-05:00

Kinzua Bridge Featured on Wikipedia

2010-03-05T14:16:00.002-05:00

The Kinzua Bridge, in McKean County, PA, is the featured article in Wikipedia today. See the feature on Wikipedia's home page.

See Bridgemapper's information on the Kinzua Bridge at it's record page or at the McKean County page.

New Featured Bridge: the Hays Street Bridge

2010-02-28T03:34:00.002-05:00

The Hays Street Bridge in San Antonio, TX (Bexar County) is the latest bridge to be featured on Bridgemapper's home page.

Over its 129-year life span, the bridge has served many purposes. Built in 1881 for railroad use, the bridge was converted for vehicular use 1910, closed and abandoned in 1982. After decades of neglect, the bridge is currently being restored for use as a pedestrian bridge! The model project is an example of neighborhood revitalization through historic bridge preservation.

The Hays Street Bridge's main span is an example of a Whipple truss with Phoenix column compression members, one of only a few such surviving examples in the country.

1,000 Bridges!

2010-02-28T03:32:00.001-05:00

The Old Pomeroy-Mason Bridge is Bridgemapper.com's 1,000th bridge! Other recent updates include bridges of Texas; Delaware; Massachusetts; Bedford County, Pennsylvania; Somerset County, Pennsylvania; Monroe County, Florida; Washington County, Utah; and Jackson County, West Virginia. We have over a thousand more bridges to add, so keep checking the site!

Greensburg Pike bridge over Route 30 to close March 1

2010-02-23T13:02:00.002-05:00

The snow still isn't melted, but it's almost bridge repair season in Pittsburgh...

The bridge carrying Greensburg Pike over Route 30, in North Versailles Township, Allegheny County, will close for repairs on March 1. PennDOT will repair the approaches, guide rail and drainage system. The bridge will remain closed through late November.

Read more at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10054/1037852-56.stm

New Feature: Bridge Detail Pages

2010-01-17T22:37:00.003-05:00

I added a detail page for each bridge on Bridgemapper. The detail pages contain the same information shown in the county maps, and can be accessed from either the Bridge List or from the All Bridges map.

The great thing about the bridge detail pages is that you can now link to individual bridges on our site, like this, instead of having to direct users to an entire county.

Hulton Bridge is the latest Featured Bridge

2010-01-13T22:50:00.002-05:00

The Hulton Bridge is the latest Featured Bridge on Bridgemapper. The bridge will be featured on our home page, along with links to the Carnegie Mellon University students' presentation on preserving the bridge and the ASCE January 2010 newsletter featuring the project.

Hulton Bridge in ASCE Newsletter

2010-01-13T17:44:00.001-05:00

The Hulton Bridge preservation effort was featured in the January 2010 edition of the ASCE Newsletter.

See the newsletter here.

Six New Pennsylvania Counties Added

2010-01-11T13:48:00.003-05:00

The following Pennsylvania counties were added to Bridgemapper last night:

Forest County
Lackawanna County
Luzerne County
Northumberland County
Union County
Wyoming County

Bridgemapper Surpasses 750 Bridges

2010-01-11T13:47:00.002-05:00

Bridgemapper has surpassed 750 bridges! 756 bridges are now on the site.

All Bridges in One Map

2010-01-04T19:24:00.004-05:00

I just added a cool, new feature to Bridgemapper: the ability to see ALL bridges on the site on one map!

To see all of the bridges on Bridgemapper on one map, color coded by type, click on the Map link, and select the new All Bridges link that appears in the top right, above the nationwide map. Please allow a few seconds for all of the bridges to load.

Bridgemapper now has 732 bridges in 11 states.

New Counties in Pennsylvania and California Added

2010-01-04T19:22:00.001-05:00

Bridges have been added to Bridgemapper in the following counties:

Pennsylvania
Bradford County
Columbia County
Jefferson County

California
Contra Costa County
Marin County
San Joaquin County
Solano County

Lycoming County, Pennsylvania Added

2010-01-02T02:40:00.002-05:00

Lycoming County, in north central Pennsylvania, has been added to the site today.

Lycoming County

Lake Champlain Bridge Demolished

2009-12-28T15:13:00.005-05:00

The 80-year-old Lake Champlain Bridge (also known as the Crown Point Bridge) was demolished today. The bridge connected Crown Point, NY and Chimney Point, VT. According to Wikipedia, the bridge was one of only two bridges crossing Lake Champlain. It was one of the first continuous truss road bridges built in the nation.

The replacement, recommended to be a modified tied arch design, is scheduled to open in summer 2011.

Unfortunately, Bridgemapper was never able to visit this bridge.

See the following links for more information:
- Bridge Location on Google Maps
- Lake Champlain Bridge on Wikipedia
- Lake Champlain Bridge Project on NYSDOT

Post-Gazette Article Summarizes CMU Students' Hulton Bridge Preservation Idea

2009-12-24T12:39:00.004-05:00

This article, in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, summarizes the findings made my junior Civil and Environmental Engineering students at Carnegie Mellon University, on the preservation of the Hulton Bridge. It also shows the obstacles in saving this historic structure.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09358/1023150-56.stm

Carnegie Mellon students Hulton Bridge preservation project topic on Design Training site

2009-12-21T13:58:00.003-05:00

Findings on a feasibility study to save the Hulton Bridge, conducted by a group of students from Carnegie Mellon University's Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, were summarized in Design-Training.com.

The students, advised by Todd Wilson, estimate that it would cost $279,000 to preserve the bridge for pedestrian and bicycle use. They found that preservation would cheaper than demolition.

http://www.design-training.com/news/20091209/855/student-designers-re_imagine-pennsylvania-bridge-as-a-bike-path.html

Carnegie Mellon students design alternative use for Oakmont bridge

2009-12-17T12:02:00.002-05:00

A group of students from Carnegie Mellon University's Civil and Environmental Engineering Department presented last week on the results of their feasibility study to spare the 101-year-old Hulton Bridge from demolition, and convert it to pedestrian use. Bridgemapper's own Todd Wilson served as the group's advisor.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_656797.html

Three New Pennsylvania Counties

2009-12-05T20:40:00.003-05:00

Cameron, Centre and Clinton Counties, in north central Pennsylvania, have been added to the site.

Cameron County
Centre County
Clinton County

2010 Bridge Calendars

2009-12-05T20:30:00.001-05:00

Todd Wilson has created two calendars for 2010: The Bridges of America and Bridges of the Pittsburgh Area.

Calendars are $18.99 each. Go to our new shop to purchase them.

Bakerstown Bridge Repaired and Reopened

2009-11-30T14:18:00.003-05:00

The Bakerstown Bridge in Allegheny County has been repaired and reopened.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09329/1016408-100.stm

Western Pennsylvania Bridge Projects

2009-11-23T15:51:00.002-05:00

PennDOT has announced 33 new bridge preservation, rehabilitation, and replacement projects that will take place in Western Pennsylvania.

The news appears to be mostly good for historic bridge preservationists.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09327/1015746-455.stm

Meeting to Discuss the Future of the Ohl Street Bridge

2009-11-23T11:24:00.004-05:00

Mercer County, PA officials and engineers held a meeting to discuss restoring or replacing the Ohl Street Bridge in Greenville, Mercer County, PA. The 100-year-old through truss crosses the Shenango River.

http://www.sharon-herald.com/archivesearch/local_story_323221424.html

2000 Hits!

2009-11-16T14:59:00.003-05:00

Bridgemapper is proud to announce its 2000th hit! Here's to many more visitors, bridges, and site improvements!

New Host for Bridgemapper.com

2009-11-16T14:58:00.003-05:00

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by Bridgemapper's downtime this morning. We have upgraded to a new host, iPage, and hope to add new features in the coming months. The first great news to report with our new host: no more advertising!