I have a grassy area about seven acres next to a creek that I mow a couple times a year. One side is marshy with a drainage ditch.,the other side is wooded with a access road but it is steep,and muddy most of the time. I am thinking of building a bridge over the ditch that is about six feet wide and two feet deep.thinking of five 6x6 x12 pressure treated set on dug in concrete bags topped with 2x10's. Probably needs to hold about 3500 pound tractor. Anybody do anything like this? Any ideas appreciated.
- Thread starter Craig45
- Start date
TomH in PA
Well-known Member
Talk to your county soil conservation agent. What you're proposing is probably okay (with their approval and help) but it could cost you a lot if they don't like it.
Adirondack case guy
Well-known Member
Buy an old flatbed truck deck from scrap yard and place it across the ditch.
Loren
Loren
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
For the main support I would use steel I-beams. They aren't that expensive and won't sag with age. I often drive a 3/4 ton truck over it without a problem. It's been there for 27 years.
I really like ACG's suggestion. Don't call the county, don't even get them involved. I built a temp bridge over a creek last fall. Doubled up bridge plank. Total span support point to support point probably 7 feet. Drove pick up over empty, came back with fully loaded with firewood. Worked well. gobble
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
Whatever you decide to do, consider the worst case flooding, and what may come down stream and collect against the bridge.
hydro70guy
Member
I agree with old flatbed trailer. Our golf course uses them to cross creek much wider and would not be afraid to cross with any tractor or pickup i own.
Several have said something close. Check you local "Scrap Yard". Some really big I beams show up. Also keep an eye out for any commercial buildings being taken down. Lots of times you can hook up and they might deliver for a reasonable price. You could get enough steel to support an Abrams Tank!.
Charles in Aus.
Well-known Member
A neighbour had a similar problem , he used two large diameter concrete pipes laid into the creek . he placed them alongside the bank , one either side , then rolled them in . After they had settled for a week or two he then dumped a few truck loads of gravel onto the top of them .
Still there and still working six and a half years later .
Still there and still working six and a half years later .
A little overkill for one your size, but see a thread from a post I made. This is a 40 foot semi-trailer. Still using today, although once in a while I run into an experienced UPS or FedEx driver that refuses to cross it (usually only once as if they refuse to drive across that, they are not much of a driver and probably won't last long in bad weather down the roads we have)
Bridge made from Semi trailer
Bridge made from Semi trailer
I have a "creek" (County Drain) running through my property. When I bought the property over 10 years ago, only way to get to the other side was by a foot bridge that "someone" built out of pressure treated posts stuck in the bank and creek bed. Was already planning to replace it with a culvert when I got a letter from the Drain Commission with a removal order for the bridge. They periodically inspect/clean the drains and found it during one of those inspections. I told them of my intention and they were very accommodating but required me to get a permit ($225), do a couple of dwgs of my plan and also let me buy the culvert through the County. Saved me a few bucks and...... I'm legal! 
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