Clarksburg’s historic Black Bridge is reopening after nearly three years of load restrictions and months of rehabilitation work.
The Black Bridge is a single-lane bowstring (rainbow) arch bridge. According to Jim McCannell, manager of roads and drainage for The Blue Mountains, the bridge’s specs are unique. The bridge spans 25 metres with tall arches and overhead bracing not typically seen in that style of bridge. He said these and the bridge’s age make it historically and architecturally significant.
Black Bridge was first built in 1923 and was dedicated as a heritage structure in 1991 when it was refurbished by the town. It’s located in Clarksburg and crosses the Beaver River. The town placed load restrictions on the bridge in 2015 due to safety concerns, which led to challenges for the local agricultural industry as the detour added an extra 1.5 kilometres each way for the route. The load restriction also limited snow removal efforts.
In 2017, the town began work to rehabilitate the bridge. According to town staff, the existing concrete guide rails didn’t meet the current crash test requirements. They were not considered strong enough to stop a car from crashing through the rails and into the river below. The town has since had two types of metal guide rails and crash-rated guide rails installed. There’s also a walkway on the bridge and the recent work included installation of a non-climbable guide rail there as well.
“The town was pleased that we were able to put our Gas Tax funding to this use and preserve this critical infrastructure link in Clarksburg,” said McCannell.
According to a news release, the recent rehabilitation will extend the life of the 95-year-old bridge by 30 years.
“We pride ourselves on being a town that is built to last,” said Mayor John McKean. “The Black Bridge is an essential link for the Clarksburg community and an important agricultural route … We were very pleased to be able to refurbish, rather than have to replace, the Black Bridge.”
The town is hosting an official grand re-opening of Black Bridge on Saturday, June 23 at 2:30 p.m.
