Blackledge River Railroad Bridge, Historic railway bridge in Colchester, United States
The Blackledge River Railroad Bridge is a steel truss bridge in Colchester that crosses the waterway with granite supports on both sides. The structure was built to carry trains and features a strong framework designed to handle the weight of passing locomotives.
This structure replaced an earlier railway crossing from the 1870s and opened in 1912 as part of railroad modernization efforts. Its construction reflected the expansion and improvement of rail transportation in the region during that era.
The bridge earned recognition on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, preserving its engineering legacy within Connecticut's industrial development.
Today you can walk across the former railway bridge using a wooden pedestrian walkway that was added in 2007. This crossing is part of a longer trail through Airline State Park and provides easy access to explore the structure up close.
The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places and shows how elements from the earlier 1870s structure were incorporated into the new design. This makes it a good example of how engineering structures evolved over time.
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