Omega Pond Railroad Bridge

Historic bridge in Rhode Island, U.S.

41°50′20″N 71°22′08″W / 41.83882°N 71.36881°W / 41.83882; -71.36881CarriesProvidence and Worcester RailroadCrossesOmega PondLocaleEast ProvidenceCharacteristicsDesignWarren trussTotal length133 feet (41 m)Width33 feet (10 m)Height30 feet (9.1 m)HistoryOpened1918

U.S. Historic district
Contributing property

Part ofPhillipsdale Historic District (ID11000675)Designated CPSeptember 15, 2011 Location Map

The Omega Pond Railroad Bridge is a railroad bridge spanning the western end of Omega Pond in East Providence, Rhode Island. The bridge is a contributing structure to the Phillipsdale Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[1]

The bridge uses a double-intersection Warren truss design with vertical sub-struts, extending only half the height of the truss panels, that provide additional strength and rigidity. There is a single set of tracks running over the bridge, which was originally built for two tracks, along with a deteriorating wooden walkway. The bridge's masonry abutments are integrated with the adjacent dam, the crest of which is located approximately 16 feet (4.9 m) upstream from the bridge.^[2]

The bridge was built in 1918 by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad to replace a covered bridge built in 1874 by the Providence and Worcester Railroad on its East Providence Branch. It is still used for freight service by the modern incarnation of the Providence and Worcester Railroad.^[3]

References

^ "National Register Information System – (#11000675)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
^ "NRHP nomination for Phillipsdale Historic District" (PDF). Rhode Island Preservation. Retrieved 2021-03-20.
^ "PW - Omega Pond Bridge". Bridgehunter.com. Historic Bridge Foundation. Retrieved 20 March 2021.