
Union Arch Bridge - Cabin John, Maryland
Posted by:
flyingmoose
N 38° 58.372 W 077° 08.919
18S E 313864 N 4315961
A historic bridge in Cabin John Maryland.
Waymark Code: WM12Y13
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 08/03/2020
Views: 6
The bridge, with an overall length of 450 ft (140 m) and width of 20 ft (6.1 m), is constructed of Massachusetts granite and red sandstone quarried at the nearby Seneca Quarry, and rises 101 ft (31 m) above Cabin John Creek. The main arch span is 220 ft (67 m) long and rises 57 feet 3 inches (17.45 m). The bridge has an internal spandrel wall structure that contains nine additional smaller arches, which are concealed from view by exterior stone sidewalls. At the time of its construction in 1864, the main span was the longest single-span masonry arch in the world. It retained that distinction until the opening of the 218-foot (66 m) span of the Pont Adolphe Bridge in Luxembourg in 1903. Previously, that honour had gone to the Grosvenor Bridge which crosses the River Dee in Chester, England and which was opened by the thirteen-year-old Princess Victoria (five years before becoming Queen) in October 1832. Visually, the similarities between the Union Arch Bridge and the Grosvenor Bridge are remarkable.
Length of bridge: 140 Meters
 Height of bridge: 31 Meters
 What type of traffic does this bridge support?: Motor and Pedestrian
 What kind of gap does this bridge cross?: Cabin John Creek
 Date constructed: 1864
 Is the bridge still in service for its original purpose?: yes
 Name of road or trail the bridge services: Macarthur Boulevard
 Location: Cabin John, Maryland

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