Bridge in Snake Spring Township
Why it's listed
A five-span open-spandrel concrete arch bridge crossing the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River in Snake Spring Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Three main spans of 116 feet each are flanked by two approach spans of the same length, giving an overall length of 580 feet. The bridge was built in 1934, with construction credited to the Pittsburgh Construction Co. Its arches rest on high piers set at a skew to the crossing, which required additional engineering beyond that of a straight bridge. Of the fifteen open-spandrel concrete arch bridges in the group, only two are built on a skew, and this is one of them. Its significance lies chiefly in that engineering challenge, and it is regarded as a fairly rare example of how skewed bridges were designed. The bridge is recorded as unaltered and remains in vehicular use, carrying traffic on a road with a horizontal curve in a rural, rocky setting.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the bridge is an unusual example of an open-spandrel concrete arch because it is built on a skew, with high skewed piers. It is one of only two nominated open-spandrel arches built on a skew, making it a rare representative of the added engineering needed for a skewed bridge. The area of significance given is engineering.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 88000793, listed June 22, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | TR 30 over Raystown branch of Juniata River, Bedford |
|---|---|
| County | Bedford County |
| Listed | June 22, 1988 |
| Reference number | 88000793 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1934 |
| Architect / builder | Pittsburgh Construction Co. (builder/contractor) |
| Architectural style | Concrete Cone Arch |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Unaltered; in use for vehicular traffic. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.01378, -78.47132 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 88000793.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15204771
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.