The Bridges Over Elliston, Virginia
Three unique bridges extend across the river that flows through Elliston, Virginia. These truss style bridges might not seem worth mentioning, but the truth is they are a disappearing product of 19th century design. All across the country, truss style bridges are being torn down and replaced with modern bridges, so it is easy to expect that they will all soon be history.
What makes the bridges in Elliston so unique?
Well, in addition to their historical qualities, all of these bridges are located within only a few miles of each other. And when you consider the fact that only a few truss bridges remain in the New River Valley, it is quite noteworthy that the small community of Elliston is home to at least three of them.
The Bridges over Elliston Virginia:
The first bridge I will mention is located in Elliston-Lafayette, on State Route 773. This is a fine example of a Pratt Truss Bridge. Based on the design variations of this bridge, I estimate it was probably constructed sometime around the 1930s to the early 1940s. I recently heard that plans are underway to demolish this bridge and replace it with a new concrete formed bridge.
Elliston-Layfette Bridge
In just a few more miles up the road, on Stones Keep Lane, You will find what is known as a Pony Truss bridge. This bridge was constructed sometime in the early 1920s. This bridge gets very little traffic, so I doubt that anyone will be looking to replace it anytime soon.
Stones Keep Bridge in Elliston, Virginia.
In just a few more miles, you will see this bridge on Seneca Hollow Road. This one is also a Pony Truss bridge. I would say that this bridge, easily, gets more traffic than the other two combined. It appears that recent repairs have been made to the bridge’s structure, so I don’t expect that anyone will be planning to replace it anytime soon.
Seneca Hollow Bridge in Elliston, Virginia
The Elliston Lafayette bridge seems to be the home of a silly little crane. He just walks around like he owns the place. I wonder if it will stay there while the new bridge is built.