Dunlap's Creek Bridge, Historic road bridge in Brownsville, United States.
Dunlap's Creek Bridge is a road crossing in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, featuring five parallel tubular ribs made of elliptical segments that form an approximately 80-foot arch. The structure spans the waterway and functions today as part of Market Street traffic.
The bridge was completed in 1839 and became the first cast iron arch bridge built in the United States, designed by engineer Richard Delafield. It solved the problems that plagued three earlier wooden and stone structures at this site that repeatedly collapsed.
The bridge exemplifies early American industrial connection along the National Road, showing how engineered structures brought communities together for trade. It represents a pivotal moment when new materials transformed how regions communicated and did business.
The bridge is accessible via Market Street and maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which regularly inspects it for safety. Pedestrians and vehicles use it daily, and its condition is monitored to ensure structural integrity.
This structure has endured nearly 200 years of continuous use and heavy traffic, demonstrating the lasting durability of cast iron in demanding conditions. It provided early proof that industrial materials could solve infrastructure challenges for the long term.
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