There was an old bridge near Titusville built in the 1800s that was covered in a thicket of brush from being closed for decades. The floor of the bridge was missing making it completely unusable as means of getting over Pine Creek.
The historic design however caught the attention of some who thought restoring and moving it to a location where it could serve a whole new purpose for decades to come was a good idea. And apparently some others thought was a good idea as well. The year-long restoration and relocation effort was named the project of the year by Franklin chapter of the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE).
It is also the subject of a brand new 12-minute video documentary describing how the historical Messerall Truss Bridge went from forgotten obscurity - to a bridge that will carry walkers, runners, bicyclists and more over little Linesville Creek - part of Pymatuning State Park Trail Extension Project.
The historic design however caught the attention of some who thought restoring and moving it to a location where it could serve a whole new purpose for decades to come was a good idea. And apparently some others thought was a good idea as well. The year-long restoration and relocation effort was named the project of the year by Franklin chapter of the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE).
It is also the subject of a brand new 12-minute video documentary describing how the historical Messerall Truss Bridge went from forgotten obscurity - to a bridge that will carry walkers, runners, bicyclists and more over little Linesville Creek - part of Pymatuning State Park Trail Extension Project.
The work was done through a partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The Messerall Truss Bridge was built in 1876 and was formerly owned by Crawford County. It was closed in 1987 due to safety issues from extensive deterioration. On August 10, 2021, it was removed, disassembled, and taken to a blacksmith shop to be repaired. In September 2022, it was reassembled on site, put into place along the trail, and fitted with a new wooden deck.
The project allowed the trails from Pymatuning State Park to the town of Linesville. The trail work increased the length of the pathway to more than three miles long. The project was recognized for the award in the category for projects with a construction budget of $3 million or less.
The video can be viewed through the Pymatuning State Park Trail Project page on the www.penndot.pa.gov/District1 website.
The project allowed the trails from Pymatuning State Park to the town of Linesville. The trail work increased the length of the pathway to more than three miles long. The project was recognized for the award in the category for projects with a construction budget of $3 million or less.
The video can be viewed through the Pymatuning State Park Trail Project page on the www.penndot.pa.gov/District1 website.
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