Suffield and Thompsonville Bridge

Suffield and Thompsonville Bridge
Coordinates41°59′57″N 72°36′25.56″W / 41.99917°N 72.6071000°W / 41.99917; -72.6071000 (Suffield and Thompsonville Bridge)
Carriesvehicular and pedestrian traffic
CrossesConnecticut River
LocaleSuffield, Connecticut, to Thompsonville, Connecticut
Characteristics
Design5-span iron through truss bridge
Total length1,060 feet (323 m)
History
Construction startAugust 15, 1892
Construction endJanuary 14, 1893
OpenedFebruary 20, 1893
Closed1971
Statistics
Toll3¢ for pedestrians
12¢ for single teams
15¢ for double teams
Location
Map

The Suffield and Thompsonville Bridge was a 5-span iron through truss bridge over the Connecticut River located between present day Suffield, Connecticut, and Thompsonville, Connecticut (Enfield). It connected Burbank Avenue in Suffield with Main Street in Thompsonville. Its four stone piers still stand today.

History

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Former bridge piers photographed in 2014

In 1889 the Suffield and Thompsonville Bridge Company was granted a charter to construct an iron bridge across the Connecticut River between Thompsonville and Suffield. The Berlin Iron Bridge Company of Berlin, Connecticut, was the contractor for the ironwork, and O.W. Weand of Reading, Pennsylvania, was the contractor for the stonework. The first toll-taker was Nathan Hemenway. Tolls were initially three cents for pedestrians, twelve cents for single teams and fifteen cents for double teams.

The Enfield–Suffield Veterans Bridge opened downstream in 1966, and the Suffield and Thompsonville Bridge closed shortly thereafter. The ironwork was removed, but the four piers remain in the river.

See also

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References

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