Craighead Bridge

A nineteenth century bridge in Central Pennsylvania will not survive much longer. On 18 July, the Cumberland County Commission authorized the closure and demotion of the Craighead Bridge in South Middleton Township, just outside of Carlisle. The 114-year old structure was deemed unsafe and the Planning Department Director said that a recent inspection discovered “advanced deterioration.” He argued that given the current state of the bridge, it would not last through the winter. The plan is to demolish the bridge and replace it with a new two lane bridge approximately 150 feet west of the current location, which will be opened in 2015.

The Craighead Bridge spans the Yellow Breeches Creek, just off PA174 (Walnut Bottom Road) on Zion Road.  It was built in 1899 by the Pittsburgh Bridge Company and is a steel truss construction. It has a single lane that abuts PA174, meaning that if you are turning off PA174 onto the bridge you must yield to traffic already on the bridge. This has made traffic somewhat hazardous. The bridge is 140 feet long and quite busy, carrying approximately 2000 cars a day.

The day after the Commission made its decision (19 July), I went out to photograph the bridge since the Carlisle Sentinel article suggested that the closing of the bridge could occur as early as that weekend or early the following week. I was surprised by the amount of traffic that utilized the bridge and what a dangerous intersection the bridge created with PA174, with difficult sight lines in both directions. Commuters will have to take a four mile detour once the bridge is closed and until the new structure is opened. It is important to remember that when the Craighead Bridge opened in 1899, there was no automobile traffic.

The bridge, with its interesting and weathered perpendicular and diagonal lines, creates a beautiful setting against the wooded banks of the creek. After the bridge is demolished there will be only four truss bridges remaining in Cumberland County. The bridge is a reminder of a day when steel from the western part of the state, particularly Pittsburgh, was a major industry. More than likely the replacement bridge will be a nondescript, concrete structure that will make it difficult to discern that one is actually crossing a body of water. Several years ago it became fashionable to save, or even reconstruct, covered bridges. Perhaps it is time to consider saving nineteenth century steel bridges as well. 

Update: The bridge closed on Tuesday, 23 July 2013.