The bridge allowed the towpath to switch from one side of the canal to the other during the Enlarged Erie Canal era (1840-1905). West of the bridge, the towpath was on the south side of the canal, and east of the bridge, the towpath was on the north side. The bridge served a dual purpose, being a highway bridge carrying the main highway between Macedon and Palmyra as well. The bridge was an iron lattice truss with a wood floor, and was built in 1881. For further details see the historical marker in the right-hand picture above.
Mules towing boats going west would cross the bridge from the north side to the south side, and curl around to their left, passing under the bridge on the towpath just to the side of the south abutment..
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