Talbot Avenue bridge

The Talbot Avenue bridge in Montgomery County, Maryland, is an historic one-lane metal girder bridge that connects Lyttonsville and downtown Silver Spring. Originally built in 1918, with a new deck added in 1986,[1] it crosses the CSX railroad tracks between Hanover Street and Lanier Drive.[2] The structure is 106 feet long and 14.5 feet wide, from timber curb to curb and an out-to-out width of 18 feet. The greater structure consists of a through-plate girder in the center span, rolled girders in the end spans, timber floor beams, a wood plank deck and a timber railing.[1] A 1993 inspection report indicated the structure was in fair to poor condition with cracking, corrosion and section loss. The wood and steel on the bridge has been in disrepair, making it a hard keep intact.[3]

In 2016, it became a point of controversy as there were plans to demolish the structure to make way for the planned light rail Purple Line.[4][5]

Some have argued the structure has historic value as Lyttonsville was a community founded in 1853 by a free black laborer, and the bridge was a connection to downtown Silver Spring and to neighborhoods where black residents were allowed to work, but not live.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Inventory of Historic Bridges, Properties number M: 36-30" (PDF). Maryland Historic Trust. April 3, 2001. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  2. ↑ "Talbot Avenue bridge closes today for repairs". www.gazette.net. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  3. ↑ Robinson, Mark (April 7, 2016). "The strung out bridges of Montgomery County". The Sentinel. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
  4. ↑ Shaver, Katherine (February 8, 2017). "Montgomery County moves to preserve century-old bridge with ties to segregation". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
  5. ↑ "Neighborhood profile: Lyttonsville". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-02-09.
  6. ↑ Shaver, Katherine (September 24, 2016). "A Montgomery bridge that linked black and white neighborhoods during segregation soon will be lost to history". Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
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