Belden G. Bly Bridge originally known as the Fox Hill Bridge was built in 1912 and renamed in 1985 in honor of former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Belden Bly . At the time of its demolition, the bridge was the oldest cantilever bridge in the United States still in use as well as the oldest Scherzer Rolling Lift under the supervision of the Massachusetts Department of Public Works. Streetcar tracks originally ran across the bridge.
5-547: This bridge closed for several months for repairs on 15 December 2008. The MBTA bus routes 424, 450, 455 and 459 had their routes detoured through Austin Square in West Lynn through Ballard Street in Saugus. While the bridge was scheduled to be closed for replacement starting in early 2013, problems with the temporary cable-lift draw bridge delayed the project significantly. (On June 3, 2013,
10-454: A hinge failed on the temporary draw span during what was supposed to have been final testing.) The temporary bridge was finally opened on Nov. 9, 2013, and the 1912 span closed permanently. Construction began on the replacement bridge (also to be named the Belden G. Bly Bridge) in 2020. The replacement bridge will be of a single leaf bascule bridge design. As of January 2023, the temporary bridge
15-591: Is expected to remain in use until March 2025, at which time the replacement bridge is expected to be completed. This article about a bridge in Massachusetts is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bascule bridge A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge ) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span , or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- or double-leafed. The name comes from
20-411: The counterweights to the span may be located above or below the bridge deck. The fixed- trunnion (sometimes a "Chicago" bascule) rotates around a large axle that raises the span(s). The Chicago bascule name derives from the location where it is widely used, and is a refinement by Joseph Strauss of the fixed-trunnion. The rolling lift trunnion (sometimes a "Scherzer" rolling lift), raises
25-579: The French term for balance scale , which employs the same principle. Bascule bridges are the most common type of movable span because they open quickly and require relatively little energy to operate, while providing the possibility for unlimited vertical clearance for marine traffic. Bascule bridges have been in use since ancient times, but until the adoption of steam power in the 1850s, very long, heavy spans could not be moved quickly enough for practical application. There are three types of bascule bridge and
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