‘Historic’ truss bridge near Taylorstown closing to traffic
TAYLORSTOWN – The historic Hodgens Bridge near Taylorstown will close to traffic today as Washington County officials prepare to replace the 132-year-old span.
County officials attempted three years ago to sell the 100-foot-long iron truss bridge that takes traffic on Walker Hill Road across Buffalo Creek, but found no bidders who wanted to purchase it and move it to a different location.
Estimates to rehabilitate the bridge were deemed too costly, so the county put it on a semi-annual inspection schedule as it prepared to remove and eventually replace the span. The bridge’s replacement has already been designed, but county officials rejected construction bids after putting requests out in 2019 and 2020.
County engineer Vincent Ley inspected the bridge last week and found “critical” problems with the super structure, floor beams and bearings that were deteriorating at the stone foundation, prompting its closure this week. The bridge’s weight capacity is three tons, meaning no heavy truck traffic can cross over it.
“It’s just time for that bridge to go away,” Ley said Tuesday.
Built in 1889 by Penn Bridge Co. in Beaver Falls, Ley said the Hodgens Bridge is of “moderate historic value,” although the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission allowed the county to remove if it could not find a buyer. It was not known how long it would be until the truss bridge is removed, or how it would be discarded. There also is not a timeline on when the county would put out another request for bids to construct the replacement bridge.
“They’re still determining what to do in that regard,” Ley said of the county commissioners. “The new bridge will be in keeping with what this one is. It’ll be a truss bridge, but brand new.”
The closure will mean a minor detour for motorists traveling between Route 221 near Taylorstown and Route 331 in the northeastern corner of Blaine Township. However, there are several homes along Walker Hill Road where residents will need to use an alternate route. While an official detour won’t be posted, the most obvious route is nearby Reed Road, which runs parallel with Walker Hill Road toward Route 221.
“Everybody who lives out there knows the deal,” Ley said. “There’s really no point in putting up a detour.”
Whether the Hodgens Bridge could still be purchased by a private buyer and relocated is unclear, although locals who travel through the area appeared to have an affinity for the old crossing. One motorist, who did not identify himself, stopped briefly to read the sign about the closure before offering his thoughts to a reporter standing by the road.
“It’s a real nice bridge,” the motorist said before crossing it in his pickup truck. “It’d be a shame if someone couldn’t find a use for it.”