View source for Hungry Creek Road Bridge

'''East Fork Pigeon River Crossing'''

[[File:Hungry Creek Road Bridge 1.jpg]]

'''This bridge has been demolished and replaced'''

This robust rivet-connected Pratt pony truss is located in a neat little river valley with mountains on all sides. The upper reaches of the East Fork Pigeon River flow past gently, fed by many small mountain streams, one of which is in sight of the structure. The bridge carries a dead-end road, on which are located a few houses, perhaps a farm or two. For these residents, this bridge is the only way across the river, a fact that does not bode well for this one-lane structure with a 12-ton single vehicle weight limit.

While the bridge is originally a riveted structure, there are many bolts used in plate of rivets at key gusset plate connections, a sign that the bridge was once moved from its original location. In fact, so few of the original rivets remain on the connections that the bridge could probably be reclassified as a bolt-connected structure; however, I will continued to describe it by its original design. I do not know when the bridge was moved, or where it originally stood. The 1977 rehabilitation is one possibility, however. During the move the trusses were apparent cut in half,  as is evident by the bolted steel plate and subtle cut that is located above the Pratt "X." The bridge has also received modifications common to all NCDOT-maintained truss bridges, notably an asphalt over wood deck and painted wood railings. Admittedly, these changes detract from the bridge's historical significance somewhat, but it is a still a good little structure that would not deserve to be obliterated from the landscape and scrapped.

All structural members on the bridge consist of multiple sections of steel connected together with rivets. The vertical members, all of which are identical, consist of a flat section of steel riveted to two L-channel pieces, forming a C-shaped beam. The outer diagonal members consist of two L-channel pieces as well, but are held together with steel plates called batons. The top chord and front posts were constructed using V-lacing, which is merely small pieces of steel crossing the beams back and forth in a zigzag pattern. For the most part these individual members escaped modification.

The bridge rests atop wooden abutments, which have an impermanent look to them. In all likelihood the moving of this bridge was done quickly and in a manner that minimized costs.

=== Facts ===

* Year built: 1930
* Year reconstructed: 1977
* Route Carried: SR-1890
* Crosses: East Fork Pigeon River
* Location: Haywood County, NC
* Design: Five-panel, riveted Pratt pony truss
* Number of spans: 1
* Main span length: 82 ft.
* Inside width: 15.1 ft., one lane
* Average Daily Traffic: 110
* Sufficiency Rating: 20.9 out of 100
* National Bridge Inventory ID: 870013
* Coordinates: 35°24'6.29"N, 82°48'33.24"W

=== Pictures ===

[[File:Hungry Creek Road Bridge 2.jpg|200px]][[File:Hungry Creek Road Bridge 3.jpg|200px]][[File:Hungry Creek Road Bridge 4.jpg|200px]]

* L: an oblique shot of the span, from the river bank. C: another oblique shot. R: a portal shot, looking west.

[[File:Hungry Creek Road Bridge 5.jpg|200px]][[File:Hungry Creek Road Bridge 6.jpg|200px]][[File:Hungry Creek Road Bridge 7.jpg|112px]]

* L: a portal shot, facing east. C: the east abutment. R: the underside of the top chord and front post, showing the v-lacing.

[[File:Hungry Creek Road Bridge 8.jpg|200px]][[File:Hungry Creek Road Bridge 9.jpg|200px]][[File:Hungry Creek Road Bridge 10.jpg|200px]]

* L: an upper chord / front post connection. C: an upper chord connection. R: a more recent splice connecting the upper chord together, a product of the bridge's move most likely.