US 276 Looking Glass Creek Bridges
US 276 Looking Glass Creek Bridges
The section of US 276 through Pisgah National Forest between US 64 and the Blue Ridge Parkway is definitely one of North Carolina's more scenic stretches of the road. It travels through lush forests that form a canopy over the roadway, around gentle mountains, and alongside clear mountain streams. As a road that has blended in with the natural surroundings, it is only fitting that its bridges have a natural appearance as well. In all likelihood this was the intention with the four bridges built along the route, all of which cross Looking Glass Creek, a tributary of the Davidson River. Stone-faced and moss-covered, these bridges serve to augment the natural beauty that surrounds the road. Like many bridges built during the early days of highway construction in North Carolina, these bridges use the concrete tee-beam design, in which the support beams are cast together with the bridge's deck. The main difference between these bridges and the vast majority built during the 1930s is that their beams are curved, giving them an arched appearance. This design may have been chosen in order to make these bridges more aesthetically appealing, since aesthetics were apparently an important factor. Underneath the bridge one can see the imprints from the wood forms used during the pouring of the concrete. The railing on the span of the bridges is concrete, and identical to the style found on standard-plan 1930s bridges (for example, the NC 130 Shallotte River Bridge). Unlike most 1930s vintage bridges, however, these structures lack any sort of plaque. The stone facing on the bridges give them a medieval appearance, especially in conjunction with the natural moss and arched insets. At the same time, the sloped pieces of concrete at the ends of the walls are possibly representative of the streamlined Art Deco style. Arguably these are pretty simplistic structures that have been "embellished;" yet they are far more appealing than the sort of bridges that are most commonly built today. These bridges may have been built by the Civil Conservation Corps (CCC), which frequently employed natural materials in construction and had a camp nearby. I managed to take photographs of three of the four structures. Since they were built to a standard plan, a design feature on one appears nearly the same as it does on the others.
Facts Common to All Four Bridges
- Year built: 1935
- Route Carried: US 276
- Crosses: Looking Glass Creek
- Location: Pisgah National Forest, Transylvania County, NC
- Design: Curved concrete tee-beam with stone-faced exteriors
- Number of spans: 1
- Inside width: 24 ft., two lanes
Bridge Number 1750087
- Main Span Length: 33.1 ft.
- Average Daily Traffic: 640
- Coordinates: 35°19'17.41"N, 82°47'28.26"W
Left: an oblique shot of the span. Right: looking across the bridge deck.
Bridge Number 1750070
- Main Span Length: 47.9 ft.
- Average Daily Traffic: 640
- Coordinates: 35°18'17.06"N, 82°46'27.89"W
Left: an oblique shot of the span. Center: a partial shot, showing the pier and railing. Right: the underside. Note the imprints from the wood forms.
Left: looking across the bridge. Center: stone railing column detail. Right: the sloped section of concrete at the end of the stone wall.
Bridge Number 1750054
- Main Span Length: 47.9 ft.
- Average Daily Traffic: 830
- Coordinates: 35°17'30.13"N, 82°46'11.94"W
Left: a side shot of the span, taken between the abutment and the Davidson River. Center: the 1930s style arched railing. Right: looking across the bridge, facing north.