Keystone Arch Bridge

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The Historic Bridges of Keeseville, New York

Built in 1843, the Keeseville NY Keystone Arch Bridge is one of the oldest and longest spans of it’s type in the United States. It was built by a mason named Soloman Townsend. It is 110 feet long, and has continuously carried traffic since it was built.

Owned by: Clinton County

Current Restoration Plans

Since the Closing of the Upper Bridge, Clinton County has been proposing the idea of renovating the Arch Bridge to allow for heavier vehicles to cross this bridge. Removing the 10 ton weight restriction, and essentially increasing the load capacity for this bridge to modern standards of 40 tons. The project would require building scaffolding under the Arch to support the Arch from collapsing. Then, digging up the roadway and essentially creating a cement arch inside of the current arch, and then reopening the bridge to all traffic.

Hurricane Irene – After Hurricane Irene, there were concerns about the “dip” in the road that seemed to have gotten bigger. The bridge was briefly closed and repairs were made.

2020 Bridge Inspections- Throughout the summer of 2020 a series of bridge inspections occurred to plan for this project.

Community Concerns:

Our Town Supervisors and community members have expressed concerns with this project. Here are some of those concerns.

1. In 1842 when the bridge was being built, scaffolding was used to hold the Arch in place. Raging River water washed the scaffolding away and the bridge collapsed. The Community is concerned that the same thing would happen here.
2. This project started when the Upper Bridge was closed. The solution proposed was to make the Arch Bridge a bridge with no weight restrictions. The Upper Bridge / traffic issues were ignored at that time.
3. Large Trucks, big rigs, can not make the turn onto Front St when crossing this bridge.
4. The Community does not want large trucks to be allowed to cross this bridge
5. New Technology exists to monitor vehicles and their weights such as cameras and sensors.
6. The intersection at the Arch Bridge / Front St is overwhelmed with Traffic. This doesn’t address the real issues.
7. The state bridge was built specifically for the purpose of carrying the heavier traffic.
8. It is already difficult for pedestrians to cross the street in this location, it would be much more difficult with large trucks coming down the hill, especially in the winter.

Clinton County’s response:

1. Clinton County Transportation Committee members see the renovation as a good thing.
2. The Arch Bridge can be upgraded to a bridge with no weight restrictions, and can still post signs to forbid large trucks from crossing the bridge.

Our Thoughts:

The issue of the Arch Bridge Restoration is tricky. We appreciate the efforts of wanting to restore the Arch Bridge. It does seem to make sense to strengthen the arch bridge, and then not allow heavier traffic to cross it. It is important to maintain this bridge for generations to come. The town officials and board members have legitimate concerns. The Community loves this bridge and also has legitimate concerns.

Bridge inspections could show that work is needed to be done. Our efforts have been primarily to save the other bridges that have been abandoned for years. Since this bridge is still open, we haven’t focused much on the issues here. We feel that funding would be better used to rehabilitate and reopen our other bridges.

Our efforts currently are to:

1. Rehabilitate and reopen the Upper Bridge to a 12-15 ton load capacity to allow for vehicle traffic and ambulance traffic.
2. Rehabilitate and reopen the Old State Road Bridge to pedestrian and local traffic.
3. Have the Swing Bridge maintained, and painted.

Visit the Keystone Arch Bridge

Main St – Keeseville, NY

For More info: https://keesevillehistoricbridges.com/info/

https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=newyork/keeseville/

History of the Stone Arch Bridge (Information Collected by Sean Reines)

About the Stone Arch Bridge 

The Stone Arch Bridge is a single span made from local sandstone completed in 1843 by workmen under master mason/contractor Solomon Townsend.  This is said to be the second-longest freestanding stone span in America.  Here in northern New York, 19^th century stone bridges are very rare, a fact which adds greatly to the significance (both historic and engineering) of this one.  As stated above, the Stone Arch Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places (listed 1983 as part of Keeseville’s Historic District) and is also a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark (designated 1987).  

The arch design is a direct response to the flood potential of the Ausable River.  The river originates in the mountains (Eastern Adirondacks “High Peaks” region some 40-50 miles southwest of Keeseville) and is always prone to flooding and ice jams.  Silas Arnold, a local land surveyor and engineer who resided for many years at the “Silas Arnold House” on the corner of Main and Pleasant Streets (just up Main Street hill from the Stone Arch Bridge), designed the span.  

According to Steven Engelhart’s Crossing the River:  Historic Bridges of the Ausable River, the first bridge that crossed here was reportedly a wooden bridge built circa 1810 by early settler Robert Hoyle.  That bridge, which sat much closer to river level and did not have an arched design, would have been subjected to periodic flooding and likely had to be repaired or rebuilt several times.  Eventually, it was agreed that Keeseville, as an important manufacturing center, needed a permanent bridge.  The Towns of Ausable and Chesterfield, within which the community sits, decided on a stone bridge for optimum stability and durability.  

The project was not without its hurdles.  One spring day in 1842, 30 men were working on the bridge while the river level was high (near flood stage).  As the story goes, a sudden heavy rain shower drove the workmen to the riverbanks for shelter.  The added intensity of river flow brought on by the rain caused the partially completed arch to tumble into the river with a roar.  Having to start all over again, Townsend and his men persevered and completed the bridge the next year (1843).

For the Stone Arch Bridge information, see:  

Virginia Westbrook, A Thoroughly Wide Awake Little Village:  A Walking Guide to Keeseville’s Historic District.  Keeseville, New York: Friends of the North Country, Inc., 1996, 4.  

Steven Engelhart, Crossing the River:  Historic Bridges of the AuSable River (N.p: Distributed by the Friends of the North Country, Keeseville, New York, 1991), 12-14.

Steven Engelhart.  National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Nomination for “Historic Bridges of the AuSable River Valley,” June 8, 1999.  Section E, pages 6-8 and 22-24; Section F, pages 1-2.