Case Study #5: Pequabuck Bridge,
Farmington
(click on images for larger view)
Bridge: Stone arch built in 1833
Problem: Cracked masonary and damaged road surface
Solution: Built new bridge and redirect river channel to
the west
Although normally a small, quiet stream, the Pequabuck River is subject
to severe flooding, which damaged the masonry of this bridge over its
150 years of service. When closed in 1982, the bridge had a longitudinal
crack along the full lenth of the arch and several gaping holes in the
roadway, one of which went entirely through to the underside.
At the time, traffic demands on Meadow Road were increasing, and there
was interest in widening the road. Other citizens voiced concern that a
wider road would alter the character of the area. When the bridge was
closed, local police, emeregency and school officals urged that the road
be returned to service as soon as possible.
From a preservation point of
view, the town's solution was a model bypass. The new bridge was located
well away from the historic structure, leaving its setting intact.
Although the Pequabuck River was redirected into another channel, the
old river course was not completely filled in, and sometimes there is
water under the bridge. Most importantly, the old bridge was not simply
left to decay; it carries the sidewalk and bicycle path for the new road.