The Buffalo Creek S Bridge is located near Taylorstown in Washington County, Pennsylvania.
History
The Buffalo Creek S Bridge is located near Taylorstown in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Constructed in 1818, 2 it carries the National Road and U.S. Route 40 over Buffalo Creek.
The crossing is one of several masonry S bridges built in Ohio and Pennsylvania, and it contains a 130-foot twin stone arch span over the creek, set on a line perpendicular to the stream’s flow, while the roadway curves on either side of the arch. Built of cut stone laid in courses of one foot or more, the S Bridge originally had a brick floor. 1 Its distinctive S-shaped form is both unusual and practical. The curves ease the approaches to the crossing, reduce the length of arch needed to span the stream, avoid steeper grades, and help protect the backfill from erosion.
The S Bridge was bypassed when U.S. Route 40 was realigned in 1929, a realignment that required removing the western approach to the S Bridge.
In 1974, the Buffalo S Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and is designated as a historic bridge by the Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation.
Gallery
Details
- State: Pennsylvania
- Route: National Road, U.S. Route 40
- Status: Active (Automobile)
- Type: Closed Spandrel Arch, Stone Arch
- Total Length: 130'
- Deck Width: 45'
Sources
- Loveday, Amos J., Jr. “S” Bridge II. National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form, July 1972.
- Historic marker.