Southville Bridge - Brookfield, CT - Truss Bridges on Waymarking.com

The Southville Bridge is a four-span variant of the Parker Truss design, and was built in 1954. It spans Lake Lillinonah, a man-made lake that is an integral part of the Housatonic River. The approximate center of the bridge is both a town line and a county line, with the town of Brookfield, county of Fairfield, at the south end of the bridge, and the town of Bridgewater, county of Litchfield, at the north end. The bridge carries CT State Route 133 over it, and it sees moderate to heavy use on a daily basis, as it is one of only two bridges spanning the lake, the other bridge being much further north of here, carrying a small town road.
Southville Bridge was built to replace the existing bridge, a small bridge spanning the Housatonic River, in the heart of the village of Southville, a small manufacturing town on the river at the time. During this period, the Connecticut Light and Power Company was in the process of building a new hydroelectric dam a little over a mile or so downstream. The Shepaug Dam, as it would be called, would help meet the growing demand for electric power in the region, and by 1953, the project was in full swing. Unfortunately for Southville, the waters were going to rise well above the village, and the residents there were forced to abandon the village for higher land. The village was demolished, church, mills, and all, and the land would soon be consumed by a newly named Lake Lillinonah in 1955.
Today, the only remnant of Southville is the iron truss bridge that bears it's name, the bridge that passes over the old village underwater. There are no websites specific to the bridge, but there is a little history about Lake Lillinonah and Southville at this link:

(visit link)

Aside from being on the water, the best view of the bridge from land can be had from the state boat launch, located on the Bridgewater side, to the east of the bridge. Probably best when there are no leaves in the trees surrounding the area.

Date Built: 01/01/1954 Length of Span: Approximately 0.25 mile Parking Coordinates:: Not Listed www: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Log your find with a picture of the bridge with yourself or your GPS in the foreground. This shot does not have to be taken "on" the bridge. The shot should show the "truss" structure of the bridge as well.

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