Few historic truss structures could have been as rickety as old Douthit Bridge when it was in use, but the structure has managed to stand over 20 years past its abandonment, providing a window into mid-century life in the Etowah River Valley. Douthit (or Douthits) Bridge is located west of the confluence of Pumpkinvine Creek with Etowah River and is located south of Cartersville on Douthits Ferry Road near where it intersects with Old Alabama Road.
The frightening pin-connected truss design of the bridge was similar to that used on another structure near Euharlee. It is not known exactly when it was built, because all plaques have long since been removed from the bridge. The structure itself would squeal, creak and moan when crossing it, which is quite unnerving crossing a river like Etowah with intermittent swells from Allatoona Dam. Extra suspense was created in the way a perfectly straight road made a sudden S-curve to meet and cross the bridge. This curve was straightened out when the road was relocated to the new bridge, leaving the old bridge to the east of the current bridge. The bridge itself, connecting two bluffs, features two main spans joined by a very large rock pier in the middle of the river. The design of the bridge featured a combination of beams and cables with a one-lane wooden deck in the center. At some point, the bridge became so unsafe that some additional steel was added to the top of the structure on each side of the the southern span. Those steel braces prevented failure of the structure, which today is still noticeably sagging in the spot. Indeed, the problems with the bridge presented a bit of a crisis, since it was the only road crossing the river between Highways 293 and 61. At one time, it was the way into Cartersville itself, predating present-day GA 61 and possibly carrying the route prior to the completion of the present highway in the 1940's. A disjointed section of the route is located in Paulding County that was closed just north of the county line decades ago. Today, Douthits Ferry Road (known at the time the bridge was open as Pine Grove Road) crosses a boring concrete bridge to the west of the old bridge. Its opening led to the rapid suburbanization of the area, which is now quickly filling with subdivisions spoiling the once pristine and mystical valley. Work on the new bridge was completed in late 1985, bringing the entire two-lane road up to modern standards from Old Alabama Road to Highway 61 in Cartersville when it was completed. It is hoped that anyone possibly has historical photos of this bridge either when it was still intact or when it was still in use. If anyone does, please feel free to share them! All photos below by J.T. Legg taken January 24, 2006. |
 | Here
is a view of the northern approach looking south. This is exactly the same view
as the view in the historic photo above. Note the pile of boards removed to make
way for the new crossing on the bridge. It is not known if this will be for the
public or just for private use. A bike trail terminates just north of the bridge,
leading to the conclusion that such is not impossible. |
 | A
slightly more angled view of the bridge showing more detail from the side. |
 | This
shot was taken from the new bridge looking east upstream. Note the large rock
pier. |
 | A
close-up shot reveals the braces placed on the south span that helped the bridge
survive its later years. Note the noticeable sag in both shots on the south span. |
 | This
photo was taken from the south approach looking onto the bridge. Note the detail
of the structure and the peculiar wooden walkway under construction. It would
be better if the walkway covered the entire width of the bridge. |
 | Back
on the north approach, the bridge appears ominously around the corner. The approach
to the bridge was very strange and very old-timey, and it was not certain how
this kink evolved on each approach to the bridge, but the existance of it saved
it from demolition in the 1980's. |
 | And
once again on the south approach, the former roadway is now dug down to where
the bridge sits about five feet higher than where I'm standing. Warnings to stay
away from the bridge didn't deter me on either side, and I risked arrest just
to see what was perfectly legal to approach when I was five years old. |
 | A
close up of the south approach reveals an old weight limit sign and the clearance
posted under the wood. Note the stenciled "3". It was nice to find this
signage still intact, and it will undoubtably be removed if/when this bridge is
renovated for a bike trail. |
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