Upper Slate Run Bridge, Lycoming, Pennsylvania

The Upper Slate Run Bridge near Slate Run, Pennsylvania was built in 1890 by the Berlin Iron Bridge Company of East Berlin, Connecticut. The bridge is 207 feet long, spans Pine Creek and was rehabbed in 1950 and again around 1999. This is an extremely rare bridge on several levels. First it’s a lattice truss bridge which means that it uses many small, closely spaced diagonal elements to form a lattice. Secondly this is a quintuple intersection warren truss bridge where the diagonals between the upper and lower chords intersect five panel points which is normally seen only on railroad bridges. This is almost unheard of on a vehicular bridge. Third this is among one of the oldest riveted highway truss bridges still standing in the state of Pennsylvania.

The bridge is highly decorated, still retains the build plaque and sits in a beautiful isolated valley.

The bridge does not meet modern engineering standards such as bridge width and approach/exit geometry. However it is located in such a rural area and receives such little traffic, approximately 200 vehicles per day, that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has decided to leave the bridge and the alignments alone rather than try to update the roadway or even replace the bridge.

If you are in this area of Pennsylvania, make a side trip. You’ll probably be very impressed with the bridge and the drive back to see it.

GPS Location: 41°29’10.4″N 77°29’49.5″W