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This bridge over the Erie Canal in upstate New York may not seem unusual at first glance; but the small object at the man's feet - which looks like a bowl sitting upside down - is really a permanent part of the roadway of the bridge. The man appears to be watching for a cue from the canal boat that's just out of view to our left that it's time to open the bridge. The pole in the man's hand will be inserted in the object, and as he walks around in a circle a gear mechanism under the wooden deck will rotate the bridge on the masonry support that's built in the middle of the canal under the center of the bridge.
Why did the State choose a swing bridge for this location? The width of the canal is no greater here than it is elsewhere. There are masonry buildings close to the canal here that made raised approaches difficult. One other possible explanation can be found on this historical marker that stands just a few feet west of the modern lift bridge that replaced this structure during the modern Barge Canal enlargement of 1905-1918.
Tags:
erie
canal
swing
bridge
albion
Added: 19th November 2007
Views: 189
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Posted By: USPSam |
 
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