FOXY Fox River Bridge (Phoebe Street)

Currently, the bridge consists of a 230-foot, 8-panel, riveted rim-bearing Warren through truss swing span, set onto a concrete center pier and timber pile outer piers. The center span is approached by timber pile trestle spans on either end. Similar to other swing spans from the era, the truss span is heavily constructed, with built-up members and a traditionally composed floor. The top chord and endposts are both constructed with built-up beams, with a solid plate on the exterior and V-lacing on the interior. The bottom chord is also composed of a built-up member, with V-lacing on either side. The diagonal members are constructed of V-laced built-up beams, while the vertical members are constructed of solid rolled beams. Similar to other swing spans from the era, the main span is composed of two halves, joined over the center pier by a center tower. Each half consists of an identical four-panel span. The center tower uses a rectangular shape, which is constructed of V-laced beams and connected to the upper angle connections of each half by heavy built-up beams connected with thin plates. The portal bracing and sway bracing both use an A-frame design, consisting of solid beams. The floor also appears to use a standard design, with two plate girder stringers and plate girder floorbeams at the panel points. The center pier also uses a standard circular design, typical for swing spans.

Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company fabricated the superstructure, while the center pier was constructed by an unknown contractor. All timber components of the bridge are believed to have been constructed by railroad company forces. Rim-bearing swing spans work by placing the superstructure onto a metal drum, which rotates on a roller nest and is turned by a gear. Somewhat unique to this bridge, the center drum is located at the same elevation as the floor, likely due to the limited clearance beneath the bridge. It appears that an electric motor is used to turn the bridge, which is located in a machinery house at the center of the bridge. Warren trusses became popular during the early 20th Century, as they provided a simple, cost effective and strong design. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen no significant alterations, and operates regularly. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.