An Ozarks Bridge

My friend (and evil Scrabble competitor) of many decades lives 52 miles to the east, two counties away from me, in the Arkansas Ozarks. Mac has a stream running past his cabin. This stream divides his cleared acreage in half. The rest of the land is forested.

Mac has a big ol’ John Deere lawn tractor and found it difficult to ford the stream for mowing. During one of our Sunday Scrabble games, he asked if I thought it possible to construct a bridge that would support the mower. Foolishly, I said that I’d do some calculations and draw up some plans for him to look at... thinking that he’d hire some responsible, skillful, knowledgeable, respected person to okay the plans and (maybe) build it for him. Silly idea.

He said, “The plans look good. When can you start.” 

Serves him right if it falls down.

Step 1 Ground work

During the spring rains and snow melts, Mac's stream grows incredibly forceful and was eating away the outside bank. The rushing waters threatened to undermine his cabin. Mac put in giant rabbit cages (12 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet) called gabions. These heavy gauge metal-mesh cages are filled with rock, the top is folded over, and the assembly is wired closed with heavy galvanized wire. Then, the next set of cages is set atop the bottom layer and the process is repeated to give a rock embankment that will resist the water's effort to cut away the stream bank. However, with two levels of gabions, the outside bank is now six feet high.

Getting the lawn tractor to the other side of the stream was gonna' take some bridge!

Comments

[ArtieTech]

So can the lawn tractor make U turn in the middle of the bridge?

Looks great by the way, love the metal railing!

[arkie]

Thanks for the kind remarks.

The turning radius of the John Deere lawn tractor wasn't small enough for a U-turn. Have to go to the 'pasture' on the other side to turn around. (Maybe that's what got the chicken to cross the road; anybody know the turning radius of the standard chicken?)

Those 4 pieces of iron railing were found at an 'antique mall' in Botkinburg, Arkansas on HWY 65 between Harrison & Little Rock. Actually, except for a small restaurant and a coupla' houses, the antique warehouse IS Botkinburg! Lots of cool old European furniture and stuff. The railings were "stuff".

[chopstx]

Haha, funny story!

[mardimc]

So, when are you available to start on the next one?  And,  what do you charge per hour?  WOW!!! GREAT JOB

[leeski]

I just came across this instructable funny story and great looking bridge.  love it.  Lee 

[lemonie]

Good stuff indeed.

L

[gmoon]

That really is a nice project!

I hope it survives any flooding--that's some high water.

[Bongmaster]

great build :)
glad it holds up to the elements and that lawn tractor XD