Broad Run Bridge and Tollhouse

Broad Run Bridge is a stone arch structure with two vaulted spans supported by cone-shaped supports, and its deck rises gently toward the center. Next to it sits a three-part stone building that once collected tolls from travelers crossing this route.

The bridge was finished in 1820 to replace wooden crossings that had been swept away repeatedly between 1771 and 1803. A private company built it as part of a toll road system that operated between two major cities.

The bridge served as a key link in the early road network connecting two major Virginia towns. Walking through the site, you can sense how this crossing shaped trade and travel patterns in the region.

The site is located west of the junction where Routes 7 and 28 meet and is visible from the road. Since Hurricane Agnes damaged the structure in 1972, only the stone piers remain standing today, so visitors need to use some imagination to picture the complete bridge.

The stone tollhouse standing beside the bridge now serves as a private home and may be the only surviving bridge tollhouse from that era in Virginia. This pairing of bridge and toll station in one location reveals how early road systems were actually managed.

Location: Virginia

GPS coordinates: 39.04670,-77.43310

Latest update: December 14, 2025 13:02