The Comstock Bridge spans the Salmon River a quarter mile north of Route 16 at the New London and Middlesex county line. It is not only a romantic relic of the past, but also a rare example of 18th and 19th century bridge-building.
The approach span is a 36 ft. long Queen post pony truss constructed in 1791, and the main is a 90 ft. long http://www.past-inc.org/historic-bridges/image-howetruss.html(Howe truss) built in 1873 -- reputedly the oldest original Howe truss still in existence. (Source: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/cbfy00pd.htm#comstock(USDOT/FHWA))
The truss, floor beams, and iron rods of the Comstock Bridge date from the original time of construction; and though the bridge bore the main road between Colchester and Middletown until 1932, this is the only one of the http://www.past-inc.org/historic-bridges/coveredbridges.html(three remaining covered bridges in Connecticut) to still carry its own weight with the original timber superstructure.
Colchester and East Hampton, Connecticut / 02-Oct-04 12:46 EDT
