Hello Frank, I was trying to come up with a bridge concept for our community when I saw your web site. I made a quick model as a proof of concept and to help raise funds to construct. NOTE: you will see one variation I incorporated to the design. One picture shows some additional joists that zig-zag through the arches. In the end I don't think they would have been needed, but I liked the idea at the time. I'm the guy on the far right in picture #18, the one with the head-band. Other pictures show some of the volunteers. The day I erected the arches I had a pretty good crowd. I fabricated the arches in my back yard using a make shift jig you'll see is some pictures. We carried them about 100 yards to the creek. I took a few days off and worked on it alone after the arches were up. Others gave me a hand here and there as their time allowed. Well Frank, we finished it up today and I think we did OK and owe it all to your web site and plans. Thank you again, Jim M Brighton Green Community Center - Bon Air, Virginia

Hello Frank, I am serving as a team leader for the volunteer group Elfun, that is going to build a bridge for a local boys and girls club. We are associated with the General Electric Company and do volunteer work for a variety of non-profit organizations.
We have an abundance of free labor, but not an abundance of experienced carpenters. I would really love it if you could help.

You can't really understand the pain putting in the footer really involved. It's been raining here 20 out of the last 25 days. Very unusual for Indiana. Everything is near flood zone.

When we were diggin the holes one of our guys was so stuck in the mud we had to use shovels to get him out.

Another guy ended up with leaches attached to his legs and all that concrete had to be dragged 500' down a slope full of mud and wet leaves, but we had a great time and it came out well.

Footers are in. They are almost perfectly parallel. We used some scrap 1/4" angle iron with rebar welded to it for extra strength and followed your drawing otherwise. The end to end and diagonal measurements are all less than 1/4" off amazingly.

Frank, we had a part cutting party at my house yesterday. Everyone including myself was dumbfounded.....At how well it worked!!!

We fully assembled one arch to make sure it lined up. The pieces we cut off the end fit perfectly on the other side.

Everyone was extremely impressed. I had some naysayers early on after they saw the size of the lumber pile and how long it took to make the master piece, but after that it was like an assembly line.

It is finished. It worked out awesome. Everyone was very impressed.

Frank, all I can say is thanks thanks thanks. Chet