Rock Lane Bridge

Rock Lane Bridge. . , The original bridge at this location, was built in the year 1900, and called the Rock Lane Bridge. For more than 80 years, the bridge carried a 20-foot wide timber deck roadway with an asphalt overlay and a 5-foot wide timber sidewalk; all supported by riveted steel floor beams, columns and a pair of arches spanning the Mill River between handsome ashlar brownstone masonry abutments., The bridge was rehabilitated in 1982. The original steel arches and the ashlar stone masonry abutments were the only remaining, elements from the earlier construction. Everything above the arches was replaced including new steel floor beams, a concrete filled steel grid deck roadway and sidewalk., In 2013, the bridge was rehabilitated; this time to meet modern day traffic loads and return the bridge closer to its original splendor. The entire steel support structure was remediated or replaced. The old steel arches were removed, stripped of old paint and rust, strengthened and repainted. A decorative pedestrian railing and stamped concrete sidewalks resembling timber planking were some of the new features built to replicate what was once present on the original bridge. Care was taken to respect the historic setting of East Rock Park in the shadow of East Rock itself.