Harrison Avenue Bridge

Summary

The Harrison Avenue Bridge was a concrete deck arch bridge carrying Harrison Avenue (unsigned SR 6011) in Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States.

Harrison Avenue Bridge
The Harrison Avenue Bridge in March 2015, with the Central Scranton Expressway under the right-most arch.
Coordinates41°24′N 75°42′W / 41.4°N 75.7°W / 41.4; -75.7
CarriesHarrison Avenue (State Route 6011)
CrossesRoaring Brook and Central Scranton Expressway
LocaleScranton, Pennsylvania
Other name(s)South-East Scranton Viaduct
Maintained byPennDOT
Characteristics
DesignOpen-spandrel deck arch
MaterialConcrete
Total length407 feet (124 m)
Width40 feet (12 m)
Longest span202 feet (62 m)
No. of spans3
History
DesignerAbraham Burton Cohen
Constructed byAnthracite Bridge Company
Harrison Avenue Bridge
The Harrison Avenue Bridge in 1999.
Harrison Avenue Bridge is located in Pennsylvania
Harrison Avenue Bridge
Location in Pennsylvania
Coordinates41°24′0″N 75°39′5″W / 41.40000°N 75.65139°W / 41.40000; -75.65139
Arealess than one acre
Built1922
MPSHighway Bridges Owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation TR
NRHP reference No.88000767[1]
Added to NRHPJune 22, 1988
Location
History and architectural features edit

Its three spans included an open-spandrel ribbed arch over Roaring Brook, flanked by two closed-spandrel arches. The southwestern closed-spandrel arch spanned the former Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad (Laurel Line), converted to highway use in 1964 as the Central Scranton Expressway.[2] The northeastern closed-spandrel arch spans the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, now a heritage railroad operated by Steamtown National Historic Site.

Built between 1921 and 1922, the bridge was notable as an example of Progressive Era civic involvement, its construction having been promoted by a citizens' group called the South to East Scranton Bridge Association. It was designed by New York City-based consulting engineer Abraham Burton Cohen, although Scranton Department of Public Works chief engineer William A. Schunk and his assistant Charles F. Schroeder were more actively involved in day-to-day supervision of construction.[3]

The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Construction of a replacement bridge on a parallel alignment began in October 2014 and was completed in December 2017.[4][5] The old bridge was demolished in June 2018.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Henwood, James N. J.; Muncie, John G. (1986). Laurel Line: An Anthracite Region Railway. Glendale, CA: Interurban Press; reprint, Eynon, PA: Tribute Books, 2005. p. 186. ISBN 0976507234.
  3. ^ Spivey, Justin M. (August 1998). "Harrison Avenue Bridge" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 10–11. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  4. ^ Lange, Stacy (October 21, 2014). "Harrison Avenue Bridge Project To Start Monday". WNEP. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  5. ^ Lange, Stacy (December 8, 2017). "New Harrison Avenue Bridge Opens in Scranton". WNEP. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  6. ^ Blackburne, Carolyn (June 5, 2018). "Old Harrison Avenue Bridge Demolished in Explosion". WNEP. Retrieved June 23, 2018.

External links edit

  Media related to Harrison Avenue Bridge at Wikimedia Commons