Timelapse Footage Shows Historic Hand-Rotated Bridge Turning Due to High Water

Timelapse footage captured the moment the Harmar bridge rotated in Marietta, Ohio, on Sunday, April 21, to let a boat pass in high water.

The footage, shared by the Historic Harmar Bridge Company, shows the bridge turning at a 90-degree angle to allow the Valley Gem Sternwheeler to pass under in high waters from recent rain.

“It took 12 men and women 18 rotations today to get the bridge all the way open and then closed again,” the company wrote in a Facebook post.

According to the Historic Harmar Bridge Company, the bridge, which spans the Muskingum River, is the last remaining operational hand-turned swing bridge in the United States.

However, the organization said the bridge is closed to the public due to safety concerns and rarely turned. Ongoing fundraising via community efforts and state and federal grants aim to restore the bridge and reopen it to the public. Credit: Historic Harmar Bridge Company via Storyful

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