Double-Span Metal Pratt Truss Bridge

This metal Pratt truss bridge in Keeseville spans the Ausable River with two sections of roughly equal length totaling about 65 meters. The structure carries Liberty Street across the water and relies on a central support pier to distribute its load.

Murray Dougal & Company built this bridge in 1877 following the collapse of a wooden predecessor that failed under heavy snow and wind just a couple of years earlier. The metal replacement was designed to withstand the harsh winter conditions that had destroyed the original structure.

The bridge represents an important example of the catalogue bridge construction methods used throughout the United States between 1875 and 1910.

This structure has been closed to traffic since 2008 and cannot be crossed by vehicles or pedestrians. Your best views of the iron framework come from nearby riverside paths and surrounding streets where you can examine its design from different angles.

This bridge holds the distinction of being the oldest surviving metal Pratt truss bridge in New York and earned recognition as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. The designation reflects both its age and the engineering methods it exemplifies.

Location: New York

GPS coordinates: 44.50028,-73.48528

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:40