Blackledge River Railroad Bridge | |
,_June_2021.jpg) The Blackledge River Railroad Bridge in June 2021 | |
  Blackledge River RR Bridge  Blackledge River RR Bridge | |
| Location | Former Air Line RR right-of-way and the Blackledge River, Colchester, Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°34′55.9″N 72°25′21.1″W / 41.582194°N 72.422528°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | c. 1907 |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002109[1] |
| Added to NRHP | July 31, 1986 |
The Blackledge River Railroad Bridge is a Warren truss bridge that was built on the site of a c. 1870 railroad bridge. The original bridge was completed and opened by August 3, 1877. Likely built by the Colchester Railway Company, the bridge was part of the 3.59 miles (5.78 km) of track from Colchester, Connecticut, to Turnerville (now known as Amston, Connecticut). The line was leased to the Boston and New York Air-Line Railroad and reported improvement in 1879 and a new 110-foot long (34 m) iron bridge by 1881. The line was leased to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1882. After dominating the region, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad petitioned for changes to the Air Line and the approval came on July 7, 1911.
The historic Blackledge River Railroad Bridge was constructed c. 1912 as an improved version of the previous bridge. The new 108-foot long (33 m) bridge integrated the previous abutments into the design and was elevated a further 5 feet (1.5 m) above the Blackledge River. The railroad bridge was abandoned in the 1960s and sold to the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 31, 1986. The bridge is now located in Airline State Park. By 2007, a wooden pedestrian bridge was built atop the railroad bridge and crosses over the Blackledge River.