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November 22

Acrow’s Truss System Supports Renovation of Historic Covered Bridge in Sullivan County, New York

Modular steel system being used in rehab of 151-year-old Beaverkill Bridge

(Parsippany, New Jersey) – 22 November 2016 – Acrow Bridge, a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, announced that it has recently completed the installation of a modular steel truss system to enable the renovation of the historic Beaverkill Bridge in Rockland, New York.

The Beaverkill Bridge, also known as Conklin Bridge, is situated in the Beaverkill Campground in the Catskills, an area heavily forested and minimally developed, but a popular year-round outdoor recreation destination. The Catskills was one of the first resort destinations in the United States, and today remains known as the cradle of fly fishing.

The 98-foot covered bridge was built in 1865, and is one of the 29 historic bridges in New York State. Listed on the National Register of Historic places in 2007, it is one of only four covered bridges on the registry. Although various repairs and replacements were made over the years, by the end of the 1990s load limits were imposed, precluding its use by heavier service and emergency vehicles. The nearest alternative crossing is a century-old iron bridge, also regarded as structurally deficient and operating with reduced load limits.

Major rehabilitation work on Beaverkill Bridge began earlier this year, and came with a push to retain the bridge’s historic characteristics. A temporary ramp was built up to the height of the bridge floor so that Acrow’s 140’ support system could slide into place through the existing bridge. Once in place, the truss system was raised with shims so that the wooden bridge was lifted off its foundation by several inches. With the structure hanging in place, supported by Acrow’s system, the structure was no longer rigid, and repairs could move forward.

Acrow supplied the rental bridging components to contractor Sullivan County Paving & Construction, Inc., working under the direction of the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). Acrow’s temporary structure is expected to be in place until the completion of the job later this year.

“It is gratifying to work on historic restoration projects such as this, and NYSDOT has been great to work with” said Ed Oakley, Northeast Sales Manager at Acrow. Added Bill Killeen, President and CEO of Acrow Bridge, “The Beaverkill Bridge project is a great example of how Acrow systems can provide creative solutions to difficult situations and provide value to contractors and government agencies alike. Acrow structures are a great choice when it’s critical that projects stay on, or ahead of, schedule and within budget.”

About Acrow Bridge
Acrow Bridge has been serving the transportation and construction industries for more than 60 years with a full line of modular steel bridging solutions for vehicle, rail, vessel, military and pedestrian use. Acrow’s extensive international presence includes its leadership in the development and implementation of bridge infrastructure projects in over 80 countries, covering Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.acrow.com.

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