The O&W Bridge was originally constructed in the 1880s and moved to Scott County in 1915 and is one of the last whipple-truss bridges in the United States.  In 2015, engineers said that the structural integrity of the bridge was sound. So why is it being destroyed?

By signing this petition, you are asking local government to intervene and save this local and NATIONAL treasure. This is a VERY unique architectural marvel in that one end of the bridge rests on a large boulder along the river. Furthermore, the bridge is also very unusual in that it is made out of iron, not steel, as were most of them at the time.

This bridge has been on featured on AXS-TV, The Nashville Network, and several DVD documentaries, as well as many books and magazines. War hero, Sergeant Alvin C. York, even used this bridge on his now famous journey to World World I. 

This is one of Scott County's LAST remaining historical icons and tourist attractions. Once torn down, this treasure will be lost forever and cannot be replaced. Thank you for your help!

IMPORTANT UPDATE 02/23/23: We appreciate the signatures, but we please ask that you follow our 2 Facebook pages for updates about meetings and ways you can help. The most impactful difference you can make is contacting (phone AND email) the local elected officials. Let your voices be heard. We will be posting their contact information on the Facebook pages soon.

Click here to join the Facebook Group

Photo credit: Melissa Capps 

Please read this story published in the Oneida Independent Herald Newspaper on 03/22/2023:

HUNTSVILLE  |  The historic O&W Railroad Bridge over the Big South Fork River will soon be no more.

County Commission on Tuesday approved a resolution to accept federal funding from TDOT to replace the historic structure, which is county-owned within the boundaries of the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area.

The O&W Bridge was one of four bridges that commissioners voted Tuesday to replace using the TDOT funding. Others include the Walker Road bridge over Brimstone Creek, the Newport Road bridge over Pemberton Branch along another section of Brimstone Road, and the Lone Mountain bridge over Indian Creek a short distance past Lone Mountain Baptist Church near the head of Brimstone.

According to Road Superintendent Kelvin King, the O&W Bridge is one of two along the former railroad grade that is slated for replacement. The second wooden bridge over Pine Creek, located near where the now-closed road leaves O&W and travels towards the county airport, will be replaced using Cares Act funding. Some 77% of the funding for that project will be in the form of state dollars, with a 23% local match. The larger bridge project — along with the others approved Tuesday — will not require a local match.

The O&W Bridge has been in place over the Big South Fork River since 1915. It was originally built in the 1880s, and was later disassembled and moved to the BSF region as the O&W Railroad was being built between Oneida and Jamestown.

The bridge was used as a part of the railroad until 1954, and has been used by vehicular traffic since. 

Originally built by the Nashville Bridge Company, the O&W Bridge is one of the last existing Whipple through truss bridges in the United States. 

The bridge was the source of consternation between the federal government and Scott County in the 1990s. Both entities claimed ownership of the bridge, and the National Park Service proposed to close the bridge to vehicular traffic, building a parking area on the east end of the bridge and keeping the bridge open only for pedestrians. 

County Commission passed a series of resolutions condemning the federal government’s plan. Ultimately, then-County Mayor Dwight Murphy brokered a deal with the National Park Service that saw the feds concede ownership of the bridge and the O&W Road to Scott County all the way to the county line, which is where the old railroad grade crosses North White Oak Creek a couple of miles beyond the bridge. The portion of O&W Road falling into Scott County was left open, with an agreement that the county would be responsible for maintenance of the road and the bridge, while the portion of the railroad grade on the Fentress County side of the line was closed and is now used as a multi-use trail for horseback riders, hikers and mountain bikers.

The bridge was nearly closed in 2015, after it was deemed unsafe due to rotting timbers. However, engineers said that the structural integrity of the bridge was sound, and the Industrial Development Board of Scott County obtained a grant for nearly $100,000 to completely replace the wooden portions of the structure, including the decking, and the fencing. The work was completed by the Scott County Road Department. The project was finished in the Spring of 2017.

King told the Independent Herald following Tuesday’s meeting that the work to repair the bridge made it safe for loads of up to about 18 tons. 

The old through truss Whipple bridge will be replaced with a modern, concrete design. It’s not unlike the project that replaced the Burnt Mill Bridge over the Clear Fork River near Robbins nearly 20 years ago. In that case, however, public sentiment convinced county government to preserve the existing historic bridge as a pedestrian bridge, until a portion of it was lost to flooding in the Spring of 2021. In the case of the O&W Bridge, however, the new bridge will be built in the same place as the existing bridge, meaning the road will be closed while the existing bridge is demolished and replaced with the new, concrete bridge.

No timeline was given for the start of construction. The series of resolutions adopted by commissioners on Tuesday give the Road Department the authority to formally apply for the federal funding to replace each of the four bridges, which have been preliminarily identified by TDOT as being eligible for the funding.

Source:
https://www.indherald.com/2023/02/21/historic-ow-bridge-to-be-demolished-replaced-with-concrete-bridge/