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Woolsey Bridge
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Woolsey Bridge, 2010 (facing northwest)
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| Nearest city: | Woolsey, Arkansas |
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| Area: | Washington County |
| Built: | 1925 |
| Architectural style: | Two pin-connected, 8-panel Parker through trusses |
| MPS: | Historic Bridges of Arkansas MPS |
| NRHP Reference#: | 00000637 |
| Added to NRHP: | June 9, 2000 |
Woolsey Bridge (NRHP listed as Washington County Road 35 Bridge) is a truss bridge built in 1925 located near West Fork, Arkansas. It carries County Route 35 over the West Fork of the White River for 303.0 feet (92.4 m).[1] It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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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 on June 9, 2000.[2]
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.[3]
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.
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