Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge
Bridge in Massachusetts to Hadley, Massachusetts From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge (also known as the Northampton Lattice Truss Bridge) is a former crossing of Boston and Maine Railroad over the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts, connecting the towns of Northampton and Hadley, by the Norwottuck Rail Trail, which is currently used for bicycle and foot traffic.
Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 42°20′14″N 72°37′07″W |
| Carries | Norwottuck Rail Trail |
| Crosses | Connecticut River |
| Locale | Northampton, Massachusetts to Hadley, Massachusetts |
| Maintained by | MassDOT |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | steel lattice truss bridge[1] |
| Total length | approximately 1,492 feet (454.76 m) |
| Longest span | approximately 200 feet (61 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1887, 1992 |
| Location | |
 | |
The Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge is an eight-span steel lattice truss bridge. It crosses Elwell Island in the middle of the river, providing no access to the island in an attempt to keep the island otherwise untouched. Riding over the bridge shows eight spans, with two of them over Elwell Island. It was built by the R. F. Hawkins Ironworks Company.[2]
To survive the 1936 flood, railroad cars loaded with scrap metal were placed on the bridge to weigh it down.[3]
The bridge was redesigned by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. of Watertown, rebuilt by MassHighway, and opened in 1992 to bicycle and foot traffic as part of the Norwottuck Rail Trail.
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