Press release shared by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) on July 30, 2024. Photos courtesy of Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority, the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area, and local officials today commemorated the repurposing of the historic Mt. Carbon Bowstring Truss Bridge as a trail bridge. Officials cut a ribbon to officially open the new trail bridge.
“We are happy to repurpose this historic bridge to be used on the regional trail network,” District Executive Chris Kufro said. “There are very few bowstring truss bridges left in the country, so we are proud to have this one here in Schuylkill County.”
The Mt. Carbon Bowstring Truss bridge was constructed in 1894 to traverse the Schuylkill River in Mt. Carbon Borough. In August 2022 it was removed from over the Schuylkill River to be disassembled and taken to a blacksmith shop for repairs. It was then reassembled and placed over Mill Creek in St. Clair Borough. The Bridge is now being used as a pedestrian bridge for the Schuylkill River Greenways Schuylkill River Trail.
It was previously owned by the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority. Fabcor, Inc. of Jessup, PA was the general contractor on the $2,939,997.95 project that began in February 2022.
![](https://weconservepa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/BowStringTruss_07302024_29-1024x767.jpg)
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For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by the state transportation funding plan (Act 89), or those on the department’s Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.
Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
MEDIA CONTACT: Ronald J. Young, Jr., M.P.A., 610-871-4555, [email protected]; Sean A. Brown, 610-871-4556, [email protected].