Bridge construction is an integral part of building the Cumberland Trail. The bridges on the Cumberland Trail are of two basic designs ---- simple pole bridges and suspension bridges.

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A natural wood pole bridge: Treated wood pole bridges: click on description text to view picture Handrail Construction: Turkey Creek Bridge - under stringer outrigger handrail Turkey Creek Bridge -construction of under stringer outrigger handrail Turkey Creek Bridge -using battery powered saw to construct under stringer outrigger handrail Turkey Creek Bridge - completed bridge Top outrigger construction Another view of top outrigger handrail construction Side view of top outrigger construction and sill Top view of top outrigger construction Natural wood pole bridges: click on description text to view picture Roofing tar and gravel surfacing: Applying roofing tar and creek gravel to canted surface "Canting": "Canting" a log to use as a bridge stringer using a hand axe Completed natural wood bridge: Completed natural wood bridge over Greens Branch Another view of completed wood bridge over Greens Branch Pole bridge piers: click on description text to view picture Rock Piers: A typical rock pier with the sill in place "Log Cabin" Pier Construction: The "log cabin" pier on the Turkey Creek Bridge "Skyline" Construction Method of Setting Stringer Logs/Poles click on description text to view picture Natural Pole: Setting the natural wood stringer for Greens Branch Treated Pole: Setting the 28 foot treated pole stringers for Turkey Creek Anchoring Stringers: click on description text to view picture Drilling stringers for rebar: Using a brace and bit to drill through stringer and into sill Suspension Bridges: click on description text to view picture Suspension Bridges currently in design phase: Rock Creek Suspension Bridge Big Possum CreekSuspension Bridge Soddy Creek Suspension Bridge

OBED BRIDGES

• Troy Casalone Eagle Scout Bridge: ( Mark Stanfill, Troy Casalone)
  This is a front-country bridge. The Eagle Scout Bridge is less than 100 yards from the road. A double span is required. The main span is an 18'-0" utility pole construction with a 3 foot tread width and double handrail is required. The decking should be 2 x 6's with a "top" outrigger construction. The main span utility poles should be a minimum of 7" diameter on the small end. The 10'-0" long ramp span poles should be a minimum of 6" diameter. A handrail is required on the downstream side of the ramp span.

  All four sills will be five foot long and 10" min diameter. The 4'-6" diameter center pier should be approximately 6'-0" height to the top of the sill (less than 5 ft to the top of the rock). Note that this will still be our tallest rock pier to date. Rock availability is great near the bridge site.

  The north and south sills will be anchored to the stringers and the soil with 1/2" (#4) rebar driven 3 foot, or until hitting rock, whichever occurs first.

  Troy's bridge design and construction plan have been entirely approved by the Boy Scouts, and constuction started on December 30, 2002. Troy met with representatives from the Nashville Electric Service and they agreed to not only donate the telephone poles , but to also delivered them to the spot where needed on December 30. We owe Troy and Nashville Electric Service a big thanks for their help!! Completion in early spring is anticipated.

  
  

  
  

• Little Soddy Trailhead Parking Bridge: (Jim Schroeder, Don Elliot, T.C. Varner)
  This is a front-country bridge. The Trailhead Parking Bridge is less than 100 yards from the road. A 35 foot utility pole construction with a 3 foot tread width and double handrail is required. The decking should be 2 x 6's with a "top" outrigger construction. The utility poles should be a minimum of 10 1/2" diameter on the small end. Four foot long sills of 10" min diameter will be required. The 4'-0" diameter NW pier should be approximately 3'-0" height. The 4'-0" diameter Southeast pier should be approximately 2'-0" height.

• Little Soddy Main Stream Crossing Bridge: (Jim Schroeder, Don Elliot, T.C. Varner)
  This is a back-country bridge. The bridge is less than 100 yards downhill from vehicle access via Hotwater Road. A 27 foot utility pole construction with a 2'-8" tread and a handrail on the downstream side will be required. The decking should be 2 x 6's with a "top" outrigger construction. The utility poles should be a minimum of 8 1/2" diameter on the small end. Four foot long sills of 10" min diameter will be required. The sills will be anchored to the stringers and the soil with 1/2" (#4) rebar driven 3 foot, or until hitting rock, whichever occurs first.

• Feeder Stream from bluff near Main Stream Bridge: (Jim Schroeder, Don Elliot, T.C. Varner)
  This is a back-country bridge. The bridge is less than 100 yards downhill from vehicle access via Hotwater road. A 23 foot utility pole construction with a 2'-8" tread and a handrail on the downstream side will be required. The decking should be 2 x 6's with a "top" outrigger construction. The utility poles should be a minimum of 8" diameter on the small end. Four foot long sills of 10" min diameter will be required. The sills will be anchored to the stringers and the soil with 1/2" (#4) rebar driven 3 foot, or until hitting rock, whichever occurs first.

• Little Soddy Feeder Stream from across Hotwater Road: (Jim Schroeder, Don Elliot, T.C. Varner)
  This is a back-country bridge. The bridge is less than 100 yards downhill from vehicle access via Hotwater Road. A 22 foot utility pole construction with a 2'-8" tread and a handrail on the downstream side will be required. The decking should be 2 x 6's with a "top" outrigger construction. The utility poles should be a minimum of 8" diameter on the small end. Four foot long sills of 10" min diameter will be required. The sills will be anchored to the stringers and the soil with 1/2" (#4) rebar driven 3 foot, or until hitting rock, whichever occurs first.

• Middle Board Camp Bridge: (Jim Schroeder, Don Elliot, T.C. Varner)
  This is a back-country bridge. The bridge is less than 50 yards downhill from vehicle access via an old mining road. An 18 foot utility pole construction with a 2'-8" tread and a handrail on the downstream side will be required. The decking should be 2 x 6's with a "top" outrigger construction. The utility poles should be a minimum of 8" diameter on the small end. Four foot long sills of 10" min diameter will be required. The sills will be anchored to the stringers and the soil with 1/2" (#4) rebar driven 3 foot, or until hitting rock, whichever occurs first.

• Middle Board Camp Feeder Stream #2: (Jim Schroeder, Don Elliot, T.C. Varner)
  
  This is a back-country bridge. The bridge is less than 100 yards downhill from vehicle access via an old mining/logging road. A 12 foot utility pole construction with a 2'-8" tread and a handrail on the downstream side will be required. The decking should be 2 x 6's with a "top" outrigger construction. The utility poles should be a minimum of 7" diameter on the small end. Four foot long sills of 10" min diameter will be required. The sills will be anchored to the stringers and the soil with 1/2" (#4) rebar driven 3 foot, or until hitting rock, whichever occurs first.

• Board Camp Creek Main Bridge: (Jim Schroeder, Don Elliot, T.C. Varner)
  This is a very scenic back-country bridge with very difficult access. Approximately 80 yards up a 40 degree rocky slope on the south side, and up an approxmately 100 foot vertical rock bluff, and approximately 50 feet into the Bowater pine plantation........there is supposed to be a jeep road that is accessible through private property. This access is currently being researched. The hike in from the north takes about an hour over difficult terrain.

  A 120 foot true suspension bridge with an 80 foot long 3'-0" deck will be required. Poles to carry the suspension cable sag will not be required due to the location of bread truck sized and solid anchoring rocks above a good trail access shelf on each side. I discussed this bridge with John Graves and Jeff Brown -- TVA Civil Engineers with trail bridge design and construction experience --- and they will review our design and help us with the eye bolt anchoring design. They have also had experience "bundling" smaller main suspension cables as we had discussed to avoid having to handle heavy and stiff 1" cable.

• South Board Camp Feeder Creek Natural Bridge: (Jim Schroeder, Don Elliot, T.C. Varner)
  
  COMPLETE!!!!

  

  This is a back-country bridge. Access is difficult except by 4-wheeler or very high clearance 4- wheel drive along an old mining road aproximately 70 yards from the bridge. A 32 foot natural bridge construction will be required. A suitable white oak and a suitable black oak were identified nearby for the stringer logs.

  The oak log stringers should be a minimum of 12" diameter on the small end to allow a maximum of 4" to be removed in canting. 9" of wood must remain after canting. 4'-0" treated wood sills of 8" diameter will be required on each side. A 3 inch deep 5/8 inch hole will be required on each upstream side for a 3/8 inch eye bolt to be anchored in with anchor cement. 1/4 inch steel cable with clamps will prevent the sills and stringers from easily sliding off the rocks on both ends.

  
  

• Bear Hole: (Jim Schroeder, engineering team, bridge contractors)
  This is a very scenic back-country bridge at a beautiful swimming hole with very difficult access. The 200 foot span will require a suspension bridge. The anchoring design is challenging and will require an engineering team experienced in suspension bridge anchoring to rock. Steel towers or creosote poles will be required in order to handle the sag required for the true suspension bridge. This bridge will be very similiar to the Suck Creek suspension bridge.

  Current plans are to finalize the bridge location once arrangements have been made with the engineering team to inspect the site.

• Lower Big Possum Bridge: (Warren Devine, Carol Devine, Lloyd Stockburger )
  This is a back-country bridge. Recent surveys after heavy rains have changed this design to a suspension bridge. The bridge is approximately 100 feet downhill from vehicle access via jeep road. The preliminary suspension bridge design is currently underway.

• Upper Big Possum Loop Trail Ford: (Warren Devine, Carol Devine, Lloyd Stockburger )
  A very beautiful loop trail from the main trail will bring the hiker to an old railroad crossing. Even during high water this location can be easily and safely forded. We inspected this scenic site after a big rain and determined that we would not recommend a bridge for this site. Safely and easily forded under most conditions, but NOT during very high water conditions.

• Perkins Point Little Possum Bridge: (Warren Devine, Carol Devine, Lloyd Stockburger )
  This is a back-country bridge. The bridge is adjacent to a jeep road.

  Current thinking is that this site may be better served with a 58 foot suspension bridge. Also, another site approximately 500 foot upstream is being reviewed. A decision will be made in late January.

  If the current review of a potential suspension bridge or bridge relocation do not seem the best way to go, then a 30 foot utility pole construction with a 2'-8" tread and a handrail on the downstream side will be required. The decking should be 2 x 6's with a "top" outrigger construction. The utility poles should be a minimum of 9" diameter on the small end. A 3'-0" high 4'-0" diameter rock pier with a 4'-0" long sill of 10" min diameter will be required on the south side.

  A 7'-0" high welded angle iron tower will be required on the north side. The tower will be anchored with at least 8 each expansion type anchors to the rock which tips at approximately 40 degrees into the creek. Metal shims will be needed to compensate for the irregular surface of the rock. A 2 x 6 treated wood covering will help the metal tower blend in with the enviroment. The tower anchoring design will be reviewed by Jeff Brown and John Graves.

• Little Possum 500 ft below the Bowater Concrete Bridge: (Warren Devine, Carol Devine, Lloyd Stockburger )
  There was no good location for a bridge, but a great ford. The shady low sand and clay banks are lined with stately old hemlocks. Rocks to build the high piers needed along the damp banks were non-existant. It would be also necessary to remove approximately 2-3 feet of soil on both sides in order to place the pier foundations on good rock. The span would be 55 feet.

• Little Possum just below Hughes Branch: (Warren Devine, Carol Devine, Lloyd Stockburger )
  This is a back-country bridge. Current thinking is a 45' natural pole bridge, with 4 to 5 ft piers dug & tied to rock within the 20 yr flood plain. This may change as a result of the January site review.

Send mail to cumberlandtrail@rocketmail.com

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