US 117 Northeast Cape Fear River Bridge
Known by the state as New Hanover Bridge No. 31
This bridge crosses a section of the Northeast Cape Fear in which four bridges are in sight of one another: the twin I-40 bridges, the abandoned Atlantic Coast Line railroad swing bridge, and the US 117 bridge. While this 1951 bridge is likely the oldest of the four (the railroad bridge has a 1959 date on it), it is certainly not the oldest crossing at this location (Castle Hayne, NC.) There is a historical marker near the bridge that states that there was a drawbridge built in this area in 1768, which was destroyed by the British in 1781. Considering that Wilmington would be a quasi-island if there wasn't a bridge spanning the NE Cape Fear, it is reasonable to assume that some sort of crossing has been maintained here since. Prior to this one, there was a highway crossing downstream. Once past the 1951 bridge the river flows north for a small distance. The old bridge followed the western bank, took a 90-degree turn, and crossed it in an east-west direction, as opposed to a north-south direction like its replacement. The 1951 bridge was built along a much straighter alignment, without any turns. The abutments for the old bridge remain; one is used as a private boat dock.
It is a steel stringer bridge, but the three spans over the water employ a "haunched" beam design. The beams are tallest at the two center piers, and become shorter towards the center, right and left. I'm not sure whether each span is independent or if this is a continuous system. What I do know is that this arrangement allows the beams to span the distance with less material. This was more important back in the 50s, when there was so much new construction, while at the same time a war caused material shortages. Today the beams would be thicker and straighter. I personally like the way the stringers seem to arc across the piers; it makes a pretty average structure more interesting to look at.
Another interesting feature of this bridge is its railings. It feature the decorative late 1940s/1950s style railing, as opposed to the standard "boxy" type that most bridges received at the time. The openings in the railing have a tiny arch at the top, giving them the appearance of fancy porch railing. On each of the four ends of the railing is a block of concrete cast in a unique shape. It could be best described as a staircase leading up to the front landing on a house. The horizontal edges of the block curve inward and there are vertical lines that run between the ground and the top edges of the stairs. The block is consistent in width, but the "landing" is slightly deeper. What is this design supposed to signify? Is it possibly meant to represent an "ascending" state? Or someone may have simply thought it a neat design. In any case, it would have taken quite a bit of work to pour all of the railings for this bridge.
Unfortunately the pictures I have of this bridge contain too many shadows (I was still learning how to take pictures at the time).
Facts
- Year built: 1951
- Route Carried: US 117 and NC 133
- Crosses: Northeast Cape Fear River
- Location: New Hanover and Pender Counties, NC
- Design: Steel continuous stringer
- Length of main span: 105 ft. Total length: 147.2 ft.
- Inside width: 32.5 ft., two lanes
- Sufficiency Rating: 43.9 out of 100
- National Bridge Inventory ID: 1290031
- Coordinates: 34°21'52.61"N, 77°53'51.51"W
Pictures
- The main span. At one time this was a shipping channel; aggregates were barged up the river to nearby cement plants. Today these docks sit rotting, with weeds growing in them.
- Side shot of the bridge crossing the still river.
- Steel stringers on an approach span.
- Shot of the bridge deck. The weight limit sign is very recent. I wish it hadn't been placed so obtrusively in front of the staircase block.
- Detail shot of this bridge's "staircase" block and arched railing. The errant wire to the right is for the navigation lights on the bridge.