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DCIM101GOPRO — **Photo contributed by: Gordon Kinlaw**

The destruction of the old Tar Heel Ferry bridge, built in 1955, started this past week. Gordon Kinlaw shared a photo with us of the new and old bridge side by side.

Did you know that before the bridge was constructed, it was a ferry passage? We found an interesting article about the bridge and thought you may like to read it.

By: Matthew B. Ridpath

Undoubtedly this is the most impressive extant truss bridge in the Tar Heel state. Yes, the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is a hundred feet longer. No, it is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places, nor will it ever be. On the national scale it is rather insignificant, but in truss-deprived North Carolina it is a novelty indeed. Located over a scenic, mostly undeveloped section of the Cape Fear River in Bladen County, this bridge stands as one of the finest examples of highway engineering in the state. Intricate in design and imposing in size, it spans a distance of 299 feet: longer than any other fixed truss in the state.

When this bridge was built, in 1955, North Carolina, along with the rest of the nation, was in the midst of the extremely prolific post-WWII period of road construction. Very few truss bridges were built in this time, as they require more material and complex construction than simplistic stringer bridges. Why the North Carolina Department of Transportation chose to grace this location with such a massive structure I do not know at this time. Its situation, however, is remarkably similar to that of the NC 11 Truss Bridge, its near-twin. Both cross the river in a curve, with a high bank on the south side and swampy lowlands on the north side. Perhaps because of these factors the NCDOT chose in both situations to erect a structure that spanned the entire width of the river, with piers out of the water.

Since this road is called Tar Heel Ferry Road (named after the nearby town of Tar Heel) it is safe to assume that prior to the bridge’s erection this was a ferry crossing. A ferry does in fact appear on the NCDOT’s 1938 detail map of Bladen County. Where its landings were, however, is somewhat difficult to determine. The boat ramp next to the bridge is a logical location for the north landing, but the south landing is not quite as intuitive, due to its very steep bank.

The bridge is a Pennsylvania truss (a.k.a. Petit truss). The best indicator of this type of truss is the diagonal, horizontal, and vertical members that meet together halfway up the structure. Together they look like a X (or a multiplication sign) that has been overlaid with an plus sign (X/+). It is the “+” that in part makes this a Petit truss; these extra members give the design added strength over its parent, the Parker truss. The Parker is also the source of its curved, or polygonal top chord, which gives the bridge its semi-arched shape. Petit trusses were most often built for long spans such as this one, though around this time the simpler Warren truss began to assume supremacy over all others (the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge is such an example). Bladen County, notably, was once home to three long Petit truss spans. The longest (350 ft.) and most impressive, McGirt’s Bridge in Elizabethtown, is now gone. It is not improbable, of course, that these two structures were meant to emulate the 1920s one in certain respects.

From a distance it would appear that this structure is identical to its sister bridge. However, there are a few features that make this a more complex and interesting design than the NC 11 one. The intersecting beams above that hold the two trusses together, the bracing, are solid steel on the NC 11 Bridge. On this bridge the bracing is comprised of two pieces of metal “stitched” together using “zigzagging” strips of metal, v-lacing. Even though this is the newer of the two bridges, this technique is an older method. The top chord of this bridge is stitched together using the double-zigzag method, latticing, while the v-lacing is used on the top chord of the NC 11 Bridge. For the most part though they use the same methods. The riveted gusset plate connections between structural members, for example, are identical.

While there is some surface rust on the steel, it is minimal when compared to the NC 11 Bridge. Despite a sufficiency rating of only 25 percent, it is certainly not too far gone to be repaired. However, I don’t see it standing for another 10-15 years. The bridge carries a lot of truck traffic, mostly trucks carrying hogs, it appeared. Because of this and its worsening condition the maintenance-averse NCDOT will deem it no longer “economically viable” to maintain, despite the fact that building a new structure is costlier and also requiring of maintenance. And as for the bridge being “beyond its useful life?” Consider that the George Washington Bridge, built twenty years before this bridge, continues to carry one of the busiest highways in the world, including innumerable trucks. Shouldn’t it have been deemed “beyond its useful life” by now? Granted, these are two very different bridges, but it proves that a bridge’s life can be determined by the value placed on it by the owner. Obviously this bridge is regarded as having little value. But in my opinion, it is Bladen County’s Great Bridge and thus should be treated with a greater amount of respect. When it and the NC 11 bridge are gone what will we be left with?

There is a plaque on the bridge’s railing stating that it was dedicated to Gus Hasty, Highway Commissioner for the Sixth Division, which includes Bladen County. It appears that this was intended merely a formality as opposed to a name that would become associated with it. Due to the fact that it is not conspicuous from the highway, but rather bolted to a bridge that few pedestrians ever walk on due to its lack of sidewalks and fast-moving traffic, only a handful of people probably know that it is actually dedicated to this man.

Update: NCDOT has slated this bridge, along with the NC 11 bridge, to be replaced. The project has a letting date of 10/1/2012. No design specifications are available, but it will undoubtedly be an “ugly concrete eyesore bridge (UCEB).” With the destruction of these two bridges there will be no more Pennsylvania truss bridges in the state.

The Facts:
Year built: 1955
Route Carried: NC-1316 (Tar Heel Ferry Road)
Crosses: Cape Fear River
Location: Bladen County, NC
Design: Pennsylvania through truss with steel stringer approaches
Length of main span: 299 ft. Total length: 1473.1 ft.
Inside width: 25.9 ft., two lanes
Average Daily Traffic: 4000
Sufficiency Rating: 16.5 out of 100
National Bridge Inventory ID: 170188
Coordinates: 34°44’41.04″N, 78°47’8.70″W

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