Throughout the county, the iron and wooden trusses in Bartow County are by and large out of service or no longer exist. The Perry Road bridge was one of the very last, and it was removed in summer 2006 after major flood damage took it out of service and in anticipation of a new bridge.

While small compared to Hardin Bridge and a pony truss in lieu of a full truss span, it was still significant. The flood that damaged the bridge caused the deck to be so badly damaged that the bridge was closed for good in 2005. I went and took photos of the damaged bridge on the last day of January 2006 shortly before its removal. I otherwise would have completely forgotten about the bridge if I had not been lured by the "Bridge Out" signs at the west end of the road.

The bridge itself was in a very scenic setting where the creek runs over shoals in a bend in the creek. Next to it is a slate ridge to give it the feel of the Smokies. Along with the photo here, check out more photos of the structure below. Like the other long-abandoned pony truss on Old Alabama Road, it is hoped that this bridge was saved in some respect rather than sent to the scrapyard.

Along with the photo on the right, check out all the additional photos below. All photos below by J.T. Legg taken January 31, 2006.