Woolsey Bridge is a truss

Truss

In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...

 bridge built in 1925 located near West Fork, Arkansas

West Fork, Arkansas

West Fork is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, United States. The population is 2,317 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

. It carries County Route 35 over the West Fork of the White River

White River (Arkansas)

The White River is a 722-mile long river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri.-Course:The source of the White River is in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest southeast of Fayetteville...

 for 303 feet (92.4 m). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

.

History

The bridge is historic as the only surviving bridge in the area built in the camelback style. Engineered in a distinct way, the camelback truss is uncommon and this well-preserved example was listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 on June 9, 2000.

Design

Bridge designers and engineers of the early 20th century had seen the Pratt truss prove itself as a durable and economically feasible bridge. The Woolsey Bridge was designed as a camelback-through truss design. The camelback is a modification of the Pratt truss by Charles H. Parker which features a top chord that is not parallel to the bottom chord. Although stronger in the center than parallal bridges, the style is less common due to its complexity. The Woolsey Bridge was likely built by a county workforce in 1925, possibly consisting of area residents.

Status

The bridge is currently open to traffic with a 3 Ton weight limit. There are large concrete blocks around the west entrance to deter trucks from using the bridge. Beam have been installed across the portals to prevent high clerance vehicles from crossing.