Reassembling of historic Mount Carbon bridge begins at new home in Saint Clair

Oct. 18—SAINT CLAIR — The restored 1894 Mount Carbon bridge has begun to be reassembled at its new location over Mill Creek in Coal Creek Commerce Center.

Fabcor Inc. ironworkers are piecing together the historic bowstring iron truss bridge, one of only three remaining in Pennsylvania.

The reassembly began earlier this week in a lot near the Dunkin' restaurant.

Ronald J. Young Jr., PennDOT District 5 spokesman, said initial assembly could be finished by next week. Additional preparation, including final riveting, will take until the end of the month.

Sometime after that, two cranes will lift the assembled 18.5-ton structure and set it on concrete abutments on either side of the creek, which parallels Route 61.

Lifted from its perch of 129 years over the Schuylkill River in Mount Carbon, the bridge was disassembled in August 2022 and transported to Lockhart Ironworks in Ohio as part of a $2.9 million restoration and relocation.

It had sat idle for 96 years, serving primarily as a conduit for Schuylkill County Municipal Authority water pipes, when it was moved.

In pieces, sporting a new coat of red paint, the bridge was brought to its new location in May.

When put in place, it will become part of the 120-mile Schuylkill River Trail, linking Saint Clair and Frackville.

The bridge is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places due to its engineering significance.

At Mount Carbon, the bridge carried vehicular and pedestrian traffic until 1926, when the existing concrete bridge was constructed linking Mount Carbon to Route 61.

In 1974, the Schuylkill County commissioners deeded the bridge to the SCMA. The authority sold it to PennDOT for $1 as part of the restoration.

The authority has entered into an agreement with Schuylkill River Greenways to extend the Schuylkill River Trail across the old Reading Railroad bed between Saint Clair and Frackville.

Schuylkill River Greenways is holding a public meeting on a proposed draft of its plan for the Frackville section of the trail at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Frackville Elks.

Contact the writer: rdevlin@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6007