Georgia DOT Bridge No. 051-00025D-01986N, U.S. 17/State Route 25 spanning Savannah River, Port Wentworth

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U.S. 17/State Route 25 spanning the Savannah River 1 mile northeast of Port Wentworth, Chatham County, Georgia U.S.G.S. Port Wentworth Quadrangle Zone 17 Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinates: Northing Easting Date of Construction: Altered Engineers/Builder: Designed and constructed by the State Highway Department, Bridge Office. Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) Bridge No. (James P. Houlihan Bridge/Structure No. is located on State Route 25/Ocean Highway spanning the Savannah River, northeast of Port Wentworth in Chatham County, Georgia. Though Georgia DOT Bridge No. was once located along U.S. Route 17, this highway was rerouted south and the bridge is no longer on this route.

The bridge is located at latitude longitude The coordinate represents the approximate center of the bridge, both by width and length. This coordinate was obtained by plotting a point on Google Earth on February 16, The UTM coordinates were then converted to decimal degrees using North American Datum (NAD83). The location has no restriction on its release to the public. Date of Construction: Georgia DOT Bridge No. was built in and altered in Engineer/Builder: Georgia DOT Bridge No. was designed and constructed by the Georgia State Highway Bridge Division, under the leadership of Searcy B. Slack, Georgia s first State Bridge Engineer.

Slack was selected in by Neel, State Highway Engineer, to head up the new bridge division and carry out the task of promoting the construction of river-spanning bridges throughout the state. Original Owner/Use: The Georgia State Highway Department. Georgia DOT Bridge No. served as the vehicular crossing over the Savannah River on US Highway 25. 1 Lauren A. Cotton, Georgia DOT Bridge No. (James P. Houlihan Bridge), Historic American Engineering Record, HAER No. GA-114 (National Park Service, National Park Service. GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 5) Present Owner/Use: The Georgia Department of Transportation. Georgia DOT Bridge No. serves as the vehicular crossing over the Savannah River on SR 25/Ocean Highway.

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA,26-POWEN.V,. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Georgia DOT Bridge No. (James P. Houlihan Bridge) was originally constructed in and was a manually operated steel truss turn-span type bridge. In the bridge underwent several alterations, one of which included the addition of motors, controls and wiring to provide a mechanical means of operating the turn-span mechanism. This bridge is a late example of swing span technology, and one of only two remaining swing span bridges in the State of Georgia. It is significant for its design, materials and workmanship, and for its role in the development of transportation and commerce in Chatham County. Report Prepared By: Lauren A. Cotton Transportation Planner II Georgia Department of Transportation Office of Environment/Location Aviation Circle Atlanta, Georgia C Date: July Georgia DOT Bridge No.

(James P. Houlihan Bridge) HAER No. GA-114 Page 2 Georgia DOT Bridge No. (James P. Houlihan Bridge) is a 51 span steel bridge which is comprised of a swing span bridge with a through truss superstructure and T-Beam approach spans. It was originally constructed in as a manually operated turn-span bridge. At the time of its original construction, the roadway width measured eighteen feet. In the bridge was widened by removing the original swing span bridge and replacing it with a new twelve foot wider structure built by the American Bridge Company. The original T-Beam spans were retained but widened by T-Beam additions of six feet to each side. The original concrete balustrades were removed and replaced with standard concrete railings.

Other changes included adding motors, controls and wiring to provide a mechanical means of operating the turn-span; adding an operator's house to the upper section of the truss; replacing the original truss members; widening the turn-span pivot pier; replacing the fender system and adding traffic arms and barrier gates. Subsequent changes to the bridge included the c. reconstruction of the exterior of the c. operator's house and the c. addition of a cinder block storage building on the south bank of the Savannah River. Georgia DOT Bridge No. (James P. Houlihan Bridge) is located on U.S. 17/State Route 25 spanning the Front River channel of the Savannah River 1 mile northeast of Port Wentworth, Georgia in Chatham County. U.S.

17/State Route 25 is a two lane roadway, also known as Ocean Highway, that was developed by the State Highway Department and the Coastal Highway District as a 155 mile long link in a chain of highways running the length of the southern Atlantic seaboard. The route was completed in stages from north to south between and Georgia DOT Bridge No. (James P. Houlihan Bridge) is part of a six bridge causeway over the Savannah River that was completed in and widened in The area surrounding the bridge is generally undeveloped. Georgia DOT Bridge No. (James P. Houlihan Bridge) is named in memory of James P. Houlihan. Mr. Houlihan was a Chatham County Commissioner for over twenty years and the (1) Lichtenstein and Associates. Historic Bridge Inventory Update.

"Historic Contexts: Bridge Building Technology in Georgia." Unpublished manuscript on file with the Georgia Department of Transportation's Office of Environment/Location, f Atlanta, Georgia, Georgia DOT Bridge No. (James P. Houlihan Bridge) HAER No. GA-114 Page 3 President of the Georgia State Savings Association in Savannah He died in A memorial plaque to James P. Houlihan is located at the east approach to the bridge. Georgia DOT Bridge No. (James P. Houlihan Bridge) is significant as a late example of swing span technology, which reached its greatest period of popularity around It is also one of only two remaining swing-span type bridges in Georgia and the only remaining one of its kind in Chatham County (3) . (2) Pettus' Savannah City Directory, p. Pettus' Savannah City Directory, p.

R. L. Polk and Company, Savannah City Directory, p. (3) Lichtenstein and Associates. Historic Bridge Inventory Update. "Historic Contexts: Bridge Building Technology in Georgia." Unpublished manuscript on file with the Georgia Department of Transportation's Office of Environment/Location, Atlanta, Georgia, ADDENDUM TO: HAER GA-114 GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER GA,26-POWEN.V, (James P. Houlihan Bridge) (Structure No. U.S. 17/State Route 25 spanning Savannah River Port Wentworth vicinity Chatham County Georgia PHOTOGRAPHS WRITTEN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD National Park Service Interior Region 2, South Atlantic - Gulf U.S. Department of the Interior 100 Alabama Street SW Building, 6th Floor Atlanta, GA ADDENDUM TO:

Georgia Dot Bridge

No. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 4) HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE No. (James P. Houlihan Bridge) (Structure No. This report is an addendum to a three-page page report previously transmitted to the Library of Congress in Georgia DOT Bridge No. is significant in a regional context as a late example of swing span technology (also known as swing or turn-span), which reached its greatest period of popularity around It is one of two remaining swing bridges in the State of Georgia and the only one that is still operational. Georgia DOT Bridge No. is also significant for its association with the Coastal Highway (US In Georgia, US 17 runs through the state s six coastal counties for approximately 155 miles, from the South Carolina state line to the Florida state line.

US 17 was constructed between and stimulating the development and growth of the state s coastal destinations and becoming an important route for vacationers traveling to Florida.2 The bridge is further significant for its association with Searcy Slack, Georgia s first State Bridge Engineer, who was instrumental in the development of Georgia s highway bridge system. Description: Georgia DOT Bridge No. is located over the Savannah River at the Georgia-South Carolina border. The bridge is the third in a series of bridges that cross the three channels of the Savannah River as it splits north of Savannah. Leaving South Carolina and travelling west, the two-lane Coastal Highway/US 25 crosses the Little Back River, Middle River, and Front River, the navigable channel of the Savannah River.

Georgia DOT Bridge No. is located over the Front River channel. Southwest of the bridge is a parking lot and boat ramp. The areas to the north and west of the bridge are undeveloped marsh land. Georgia DOT Bridge No. is a fifty-one-span bridge that includes forty-nine approach spans, each 25' long, and two swing spans supported by a thru-truss superstructure. The bridge is long and wide with two opposing direction lanes. It is supported by fifty-two concrete bents/piers. The approach spans (one through eight and eleven through fifty) have a 9" thick concrete deck, with a 2' asphalt overlay. 2 Lichtenstein Consulting Engineers, Historic Bridge Inventory Update: Historic Contexts (Atlanta, Georgia: Georgia Department of Transportation, Office of Environmental Location, 40.

GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 6) Spans Nine and Ten comprise the Swing Span and the deck on those spans is open grating with concrete filled grating over the pivot machinery at the center of the Swing Span at Bent Ten. The superstructure at Spans Nine and Ten is an example of a Warren Through Truss. A through-truss is one where the roadway passes between the truss lines and there is overhead bracing. Through-trusses are generally used in spans greater than A Warren Truss, named for British Engineer James Warren, has trusses constructed with alternating compression and tension diagonals. It is sometimes called an equilateral truss as all the diagonal members are of equal length and create equilateral triangles.

As the length of a truss span increases, the height of the truss must also be increased, which necessitates vertical bracing placed at the vertex of each triangle running to the mid-point opposite.4 The truss on the James P. Houlihan Bridge displays this profile. Both trusses consist of various size members. Additionally, there are eleven floor beams, two machinery support girders, and twelve stringers. The swing mechanism, driven by a twenty horse-power turn motor, is housed on a massive cylindrical concrete column at Bent Ten. Bents Nine and Eleven are the support, or rest, bents for the pivot span and consists of a concrete web wall supported by two cylindrical columns and a concrete bent cap.

When the Swing Span pivots, it moves in a counterclockwise direction until it is perpendicular, or ninety degrees, from its starting point. While in the open position, the Swing Span hovers over a wooden fender structure that has a similar footprint as the swing span. The purpose of the fender is to prevent damage to the bridge from passing traffic, rather than to support the open span. To prevent damage to the fender itself, a seven-pile cluster, or dolphin, is located at each corner. Additional fenders and dolphins protect Bents Nine and Eleven. The bridge s handrail is constructed of reinforced concrete and consists of a wide curb/sidewalk rising 10" above the bridge deck.

An 8" wide railing sits " above the curb and is supported by 10" square posts that sit on cantilevered bases, projecting from the curb. There are four posts per bridge span, set on average apart. 3 Lichtenstein Consulting Engineers, Bridge Basics: A Guide to Common Bridge Types (Langhorne, Pennsylvania: South Carolina Department of Transportation, 4 Frank Griggs, The Warren Truss, Structure Magazine, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 7) The Control House was built in and replaced a Control House. Like the original Control House, it is an octagonal building. It is located just to the southwest of the truss structure on the outside of the bridge, over the water. It is supported by ten concrete piles, on top of which is a 2' thick octagonal concrete slab.

The building s exterior walls are buff brick arranged in a running bond pattern. The roof is standing seam green metal. The house is accessed by a concrete landing on the north side, which leads to the single door entrance. The door is topped with a granite slab etched with Erected Anno Domini. Above the granite is a decorative cut arch. Each of the other seven exterior walls have a centered six-over-six double-hung, vinyl clad window with bulletproof glazing topped with a decorative cut arch. There is a high water table at the base of the building and a soldier course under the eaves of the roof. History: Georgia DOT Bridge No. is one of Georgia s two remaining swing bridges.

A swing bridge is a type of movable bridge, which has one or more spans that can be temporarily moved to allow the passage of vessels in the waterway. They are used when it is not feasible, either economically or physically, to obtain the vertical clearance for objects passing beneath the bridge. Higher bridges require a much longer approach and are much more costly to construct. There are several types of movable bridges, the most common type being the bascule bridge, more commonly known as a draw bridge, which rotates from a fixed horizontal axis and can have one or two leaves, or spans, that move. Swing bridges, not to be confused with swinging bridges, use a different technology in which the movable span rotates in a horizontal plane around a fixed vertical axis at its center.

This enables the movable span to spin horizontally until it is perpendicular to its previous position, creating two channels for water traffic to travel through. The idea for the swing bridge reaches back into antiquity. Leonardo da Vinci made a sketch for a crank-powered, center-bearing swing bridge around In the French Royal Engineer-in-Chief, Salomen de Caux, designed a double-swing bridge, in which each span revolved on a central iron bearing and was supported by wheels GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 8) that rolled on a circular track.5 Georgia DOT Bridge No. itself was operated by a man-powered crank for its first thirty years, after which a mechanized operating system was installed. Georgia DOT Bridge No.

was designed and constructed by the Georgia State Highway Bridge Division, under the leadership of Searcy B. Slack, Georgia s first State Bridge Engineer. Slack was selected in by Neel, State Highway Engineer, to head up the new bridge division and carry out the task of promoting the construction of river-spanning bridges throughout the state. Neel recognized the importance of permanent bridges to span rivers and connect Georgia s roads. These permanent bridges were to be built of lasting and easily available materials like reinforced concrete, and would take the form of T-beam, slab, and arch constructions.

When Neel created the Georgia State Highway Bridge Division in he chose Slack to oversee this essential work.6 Slack, originally from LaGrange, Georgia, earned his Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from the University of Georgia in and his Master of Science from Harvard the next year. Before joining the highway department, he worked as the LaGrange city engineer, a Troup County surveyor, a U.S. Army Engineer, and as a consultant for the firm of Garrett and Slack, where he consulted in some of the highway department s first federal-aid bridge projects in Slack inherited an overwhelming number of outdated, temporary, and wooden bridges that would not accommodate the new requirements of the increasingly popular motor vehicle.

He immediately began building as many reinforced concrete bridges as possible with two desired outcomes: first, to help contractors become proficient in the technology and second, because Slack believed it would result in higher quality work and more reasonable bids. Many of these early concrete bridges were built to standard designs, especially slab and T- 5 P.A.C. Spero & Company and Louis Berger & Associates, Historic Highway Bridges in Maryland - Historic Context Report.Pdf, 6 Lichtenstein Consulting Engineers, Historic Bridge Inventory Update: Historic Contexts, 44. 7 Ibid. GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No.

GA-114 (Page 9) beam bridges less than 50' long.8 Through the promotion of standardized design and use of reinforced concrete, Slack oversaw the construction of 217 bridges by the close of Between and Georgia constructed a total of 23 miles of bridges, 19 percent of the length of all federal-aid bridges built at that time and became a nationally recognized leader in low-cost, efficient bridge construction.10 One reason for that statistic was that Neel allocated a large portion of the highway department s federal aid to bridge construction.

A second reason was that Slack emphasized replacing the low-water bridges and ferry crossings in the numerous low-lying areas of the state with longer and higher bridges that crossed over stream and floodplain, keeping roads passable even during high water periods. Under Slack s leadership of the bridge division, which lasted from to the state s original set of bridge standards were expanded and updated to meet the requirements of automobiles and trucks. Roadway widths were increased from between 16' and 18' to between 20' and Additionally, steel stringer, or rolled beam, bridges were accepted along with reinforced concrete as standard bridge types.

Like concrete, steel was becoming more readily available and affordable, and Slack reasoned that they would be easier to modify if the need arose. Slack promoted the design of lengthy multi-span bridges that were economical to build by minimizing both construction and material costs. Slack was foremost concerned with economy, and favored a functional, unadorned aesthetic and through his leadership, Georgia rose to the forefront of standardized continuous-span bridge design.11 Georgia DOT Bridge No. was originally built in during the first phase of construction of the Coastal Highway/US 17 in Georgia. Though most US routes followed preexisting roads, US 17 was newly constructed in the to facilitate development in some of the poorer counties along Georgia s coastline.

Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, McIntosh, and Camden counties organized the Coastal Highway District in with one- quarter of the needed funds, while the remaining money was obtained 8 Ibid. 9 Kristin L. Lockerman, Clarence N. Crocker and Georgia s Twentieth-Century Historic Bridges (Master Thesis, University of Georgia, 23. 10 Lichtenstein Consulting Engineers, Historic Bridge Inventory Update: Historic Contexts, 45. 11 Ibid., 47. GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 10) from state and federal aid. US 17 was constructed in stages from to beginning in the north in Chatham County.

US 17 was extremely successful in stimulating the development and growth of the state s coastal destinations and was one of the main routes for vacationers travelling to Florida.12 In the US 17 was rerouted to the south on the newly constructed Speedway where it crossed into Georgia via the Talmadge Memorial Bridge. In its original form, Georgia DOT Bridge No. was very similar to its current configuration. There were forty-nine approach spans, eight on the west side of the swing span and forty- one on the east side. The Swing Span was supported by a Warren Through Truss and was manually operated by a hand-crank. The deck of the bridge was wide from curb to curb.

The original railing was fairly ornate with capped and paneled pillars at each expansion joint and twelve bannisters in between each pillar. In the bridge underwent several alterations to bring it up to modern roadway standards to accommodate larger vehicles. These alterations included the widening of the deck to 28' with curbs. The original T-Beam spans were retained but widened by T-Beam additions of six feet to each side. The original swing span structure was replaced with a 12' wider structure that was built by the American Bridge Company. Alterations also included widening the swing span pivot pier, replacing the fender system and adding traffic arms and barrier gates.

The original concrete balustrades were removed and replaced with standard concrete railings, and the original railing was thrown into the river below. The mode of operating the Swing Span was also changed from manpowered crank to machine-powered with the installation of motors, controls and wiring. Machinery details were omitted from the engineering plans in order that manufacturers could bid on their standard equipment. The pivot machinery was controlled from an operator s house mounted at the center of the Warren Truss, accessed by a ladder and staircase. The Control House was built and installed by J. Hearst Coleman Co., Engineers from Greenwood, South Carolina. It was octagonal in plan with a 3- " reinforced concrete floor, frame walls clad in clapboard and a hipped roof.

According to notes on the engineering drawing, the eight wall sections were framed 12 Ibid., 40. GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 11) onboard a ship and bolted in place on site. The roof framing, finish carpentry, and sheathing were all performed on site as well. The Control House had a clearance from the bridge deck. Subsequent changes to the bridge included the ca. reconstruction of the exterior of the Control House, at which point aluminum siding was applied, and the circa addition of a concrete block storage building on the southwest bank of the Savannah River. In the bridge underwent another round of alterations. The Control House and ladder were removed from the truss structure and a new Control House was built at road level at the southwest corner of the swing span.

The open-grid steel decking on the Swing Span was replaced. Additionally, the existing timber fender system was replaced; the traffic signals, poles, and gates were replaced at the end of the bridge; and the traffic barriers closer to the swing span were removed. A small concrete block building at the southwest end of the bridge and the nearby well and pumphouse were also removed. A series of repairs to the bridge was undertaken in The first phase of the project consisted of deck, handrail, edge beam, and grating repairs or in-kind replacement. The second phase included bent cap and spall repairs, along with cleaning and painting. The bridge was posthumously named in memory of James P.

Houlihan, who was a Chatham County Commissioner for over twenty years and the President of the Georgia State Savings Association in Savannah. He died in A memorial plaque is located at the east approach to the bridge.13 13 Cotton, Georgia DOT Bridge No. (James P. Houlihan Bridge), Historic American Engineering Record, HAER No. GA-114. GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 12)

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA,26-POWEN.V,. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Cotton, Lauren A. Georgia DOT Bridge No. (James P. Houlihan Bridge), Historic American Engineering Record, HAER No. GA-114. National Park Service, Georgia Department of Transportation. Memorandum of Agreement among the Federal Highway Administration, Georgia Department of Transportation, City of Port Wentworth, and the Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer for GDOT Project to Replace SR 25/US 17 Bridge at Savannah, Project Identification Number Chatham County, Georgia, Georgia State Historic Preservation Office, Griggs, Frank. The Warren Truss. Structure Magazine, Lichtenstein Consulting Engineers. Bridge Basics: A Guide to Common Bridge Types. Langhorne, Pennsylvania: South Carolina Department of Transportation, Historic Bridge Inventory Update: Historic Contexts.

Atlanta, Georgia: Georgia Department of Transportation, Office of Environmental Location, Lockerman, Kristin L. Clarence N. Crocker and Georgia s Twentieth-Century Historic Bridges. Master's Thesis, University of Georgia, P.A.C. Spero & Company, and Louis Berger & Associates. Historic Highway Bridges in Maryland - Historic Context Report. Baltimore, Maryland: Prepared for the Maryland State Highway Administration,

Source document Quoted word for word from HAER GA,26-POWEN.V,. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) is a long-range program that documents and interprets historically significant engineering sites and structures throughout the United States. HAER is part of Heritage Documentation Programs, a division of the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. This project was undertaken to comply with Stipulation 1 of Memorandum GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 13) of Agreement among the Federal Highway Administration, Georgia Department of Transportation, City of Port Wentworth, and the Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer for GDOT Project to Replace SR 25/US 17 Bridge at Savannah, Project Identification Number Chatham County, Georgia, This HAER is an addendum to the HAER written by Lauren A.

Cotton for Georgia DOT. In the HAER, the Location ID for the bridge (No. was used for the site name, rather than the Structure or Bridge ID (No. The HAER field team consisted of David Diener (photographer) and Terri Gillett (historian). 14 Georgia Department of Transportation, Memorandum of Agreement among the Federal Highway Administration, Georgia Department of Transportation, City of Port Wentworth, and the Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer for GDOT Project to Replace SR 25/US 17 Bridge at Savannah, Project Identification Number Chatham County, Georgia, (Georgia State Historic Preservation Office, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 14) Supplemental Material: Aerial view, looking northeast (David Diener, Photographer, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No.

GA-114 (Page 15) Aerial view of Georgia DOT Bridge No. in the closed position, looking north (David Diener, Photographer, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 16) Aerial view of Georgia DOT Bridge No. in the half-open position, looking north (David Diener, Photographer, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 17) Aerial view of Georgia DOT Bridge No. in the open position, looking north (David Diener, Photographer, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 18) Aerial view of Georgia DOT Bridge No. in the closed position, looking northwest (David Diener, Photographer, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 19) Aerial view of Georgia DOT Bridge No. in the open position, looking north (David Diener, Photographer, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No.

GA-114 (Page 20) Overhead view of Georgia DOT Bridge No. in the open position (David Diener, Photographer, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 21) Aerial view of the Control House of Georgia DOT Bridge No. looking northeast (David Diener, Photographer, GEORGIA DOT BRIDGE NO. HAER No. GA-114 (Page 22) Circa postcard showing Georgia DOT Bridge No. in its original configuration. Image in the public domain. Source: Historic Bridge Inventory Update: Historic Contexts by Lichtenstein Consulting Engineers,