The Buchanan Swinging Bridge

On the way back from Virginia earlier today, I stopped in the town of Buchanan to see its swinging bridge, which extends over the James River.  The bridge was originally built in 1851, burned in 1864 by Confederate troops trying to prevent Union troops from crossing the river, rebuilt after the Civil War, washed out in a flood in 1877, replaced by a covered bridge after the flood, replaced by a steel bridge in 1897, and finally rebuilt in its present form in 1938.  The south end of it connects to a modern road bridge, on which U.S. Route 11 passes.  This first picture shows the entire length of the bridge from its western side, with a few tall stalks of grass in the foreground.

Here's what the bridge looks like when you're walking on it.  You can see its two towers straight in front of you, with a bunch of birds sitting on the top of the nearer one.  On the other side of the river is another neighborhood.  Just beyond the north end of the bridge is a railroad track.

Turning leftward, I got a shot of the James, looking westward and upriver.  The railroad continues along its north bank.

For my last pic, I walked onto the Route 11 bridge and shot the swinging bridge from its east side.  Again, you can see the numerous birds on the top of the nearer tower and adjacent parts of the two cables, and the railroad track in the background.

For more on the swinging bridge of Buchanan, Virginia, go to Only In Your State, Virginia's Blue Ridge, Narcity, Virginia Is For Lovers and the town's official site.