Cramerton Railroad Bridge

Norfolk Southern Crossing of the South Fork Catawba River

This monument of a structure is located in the old mill town of Cramerton, between Charlotte and Gastonia. Very few towns in the state are so fortunate as to have an imposing structure such as this arc across their nearby rivers. The tall, round arches of this closed-spandrel structure in particular give it a strong, ancient appearance, in conjunction with the weathered tan of the concrete. The bridge was obviously constructed to be exceptionally strong, perhaps meant to last for centuries. Notice the thickness of the piers as well as the arch even at its thinnest point. The engineers of this structure chose a simple, time-tested design without smaller components that might weaken over time. Even though it uses reinforced concrete, which wasn't used widely until the 20th century, the structure is more akin to a stone arch built by the ancient Romans than an Art Deco open-spandrel arch bridge.

Even though it is (by my judgment anyway) a beautiful structure, it is apparent that it designed with durability in mind rather than aesthetics, as it lacks a significant amount of embellishment. The various insets in the concrete, however, contribute greatly to its aesthetics, and it would seem very staid without them. The designers also placed small insets inside the arches near the water.

Unfortunately, most of the bridge is concealed behind dense forest that has nearly swallowed it up. Only one pier is fully visible and it is impossible to photograph a single span in its entirety. The adjacent 1950s stringer bridge has a convenient sidewalk, but it is located on the opposite side of the arch bridge; thus, in order to get an unobstructed shot you have to place yourself in harm's way.

Not far from the bridge itself, in Cramerton, is an concrete slab railroad overpass. Stamped on one of the walls next to the roadway is the Southern Railway's logo, along with a 1918 construction state. This may very well be the date when the arch bridge was built as well. The structure exhibits features that are characteristic of the early age of the automobile, including a one-lane roadway and a 10-foot overhead clearance. There is a staircase leading up to the tracks, which might have been access point to a crude platform of sorts. The old structure is clearly a bottleneck for traffic moving through the town, but I don't see it ever being replaced, since it would require closing the railroad for an extended period.

Facts

Route Carried: Norfolk Southern Railroad
Crosses: South Fork Catawba River
Location: Cramerton, Gaston County, NC
Design: Five-span closed-spandrel arch bridge
Coordinates: 35°14'8.38"N, 81° 3'55.52"W

Pictures

Left: Two spans of the bridge, with the railing of the 1950 road bridge in the foreground. Center: a single span, partially block by trees. Right: Architectural details on the central river pier.

Left: a distant shot of the overpass, facing north. Center: a closeup of the slab span. Right: Southern Railway logo and date of construction.

Cramerton Railroad Bridge