US 1 Stony Creek Bridge (1946)
The northbound companion to the 1927 Stony Creek arch bridge is a structure representative of post-World War II bridge design, which is characteristically economic and minimalist. The bridge has a 1946 construction date, meaning that it was constructed in the immediate years following the war, at a time when two-lane US 1 was probably overloaded and improvements were desperately needed. At the time, US 1 was the main route for traffic moving between Washington and Raleigh and points beyond. Since I-85 was constructed in the 1960s, it has functioned as a mere local route, serving under 2,000 vehicles per day.
The bridge consists of three steel stringer spans that rest atop solid concrete piers. Unlike on a modern steel stringer bridge, in which the spans are independent of one another, the steel beams on this bridge are connected to one another, forming a continuous run from abutment to abutment. The connections between the beams are made with hot metal rivets, a technology that has been completely supplanted by bolts and welding. The parallel runs of stringers are connected together with braces; these keep the stringers stabilized. The braces on the south abutment have completely rusted through, as you can see in the picture. Apparently VDOT does not consider these structural components essential enough to warrant repairing.
Facts
- Year erected: 1946
- Route Carried: US 1 Northbound
- Crosses: Stony Creek
- Location: Dinwiddie County, VA.
- Design: Riveted continuous steel stringer
- Inside width: 27 ft., two lanes
- Total length: 198 ft.
- National Bridge Inventory ID: 5916
- Coordinates: 37° 4'1.39"N, 77°36'8.44"W
Pictures
- Left: the span over the creek. Right: two of the three spans.
- Left: Rocker bearing and stringer connection. Right: Stringer Brace and bearings (note the use of hot metal rivets).