Ryan Avenue Bridge - Philadelphia, PA
N 40° 02.831 W 075° 02.706
18T E 496152 N 4432994
This bridge was constructed in 1929, with a 1928 date stone and is located in the Mayfair section of Northeast Philadelphia. This bridge is an example of a closed-spandrel arch bridge and is in excellent condition.
Waymark Code: WMEQXG
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 06/29/2012
Views: 2
This arched bridge is made of stone blocks comprising the arch, retaining walls and coping. Various sources lists the construction material as concrete which puzzles me. Looking at my pictures, the underpart of the arch may in fact be of concrete. The main building material is stone. I walked the length of the bridge underneath and noted all manner of stone a well as colorful graffiti. Underneath, the bridge crosses over Sandy Run Branch Pennypack Creek.
There are two bronze dates stones on either side of the bridge, in the center of each span, inserted in the stone. If traveling due north on Ryan Avenue, the date marker on the right or east is in good shape. The date marker to the left or west has been of course attacked by locals armed with spray paint. Despite the vandalism, the date marker is in decent shape.
I found a SITE which has inventoried most if not all bridges in Philadelphia. This site offers National Bridge Inventory Data, which reads as follows:
Carries: Ryan Avenue
Crosses: Sandy Run Brook / Pennypacker Creek
Location: N. Sandyford Avenue 19D08
Design: Concrete Arch - Deck
Year Built: 1929
Year Reconstructed: -
Span Length: 33.1
Total Length: 33.1
SR (Sufficiency Rating): 95.1
SD=FO (Structurally Deficient (SD) or Functionally Obsolete (FO)): -
ID: 677301015003180
Another good SITE, offers information on the bridge specifications as well as the results from several bridge inspections. Even more information about this bridge can be found HERE. The bridge is also referenced on Wikipedia.