Tom Ryan

Tom Ryan

(Above) J. Thomas ryan’s community activism and leadership — along with his book — saved the historic Bow Bridge in Hadley, N.Y. (Below) Hadley’s Bow Bridge painted by ryan, an award-winning watercolorist. He also teaches watercolor painting, leads art groups, and writes.

Crossing the roaring Sacandaga River on the edge of the dramatic Adirondacks spans an ancient, bowstring-shaped steel structure — the unique Bow Bridge. For the small town of Hadley, N.Y., divided by the deep river canyon, the Bow provided the only roadway linkage. Officially named the Old Corinth Road Bridge, the 1885 structure was only one of three such bridges featuring a “bow” cord above and below the deck, constructed by the renowned Berlin Iron and Bridge Company of East Berlin, Conn. Today, Hadley’s Bow Bridge remains the only such bridge in existence. It earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Over the years, however, the bridge fell into disrepair and, in 1983, was closed to all traffic, even pedestrians. In 2000, after 17 years without a river crossing, Hadley residents were eager for a solution. Most saw the rusty, dilapidated bridge as a liability and wanted it torn down and replaced. But Tom Ryan, a successful structural engineer turned artist with a strong interest in historic preservation, saw it differently. He deemed the bridge too important historically and structurally to be destroyed. Plus, it represented a superb example of “structural art,” a subject of many of Ryan’s captivating paintings.

To provoke public debate about the delicate bridge’s attributes and fate, Ryan secured a grant from the Saratoga County Arts Council. He invited area artists, including children, to submit artwork of the bridge for a juried competition and exhibition. He then produced a book on its history and significance and included the juried artwork. Once the book was published, a number of public hearings were held to discuss practicality and function versus historical significance and aesthetic beauty. Finally, a compromise was reached.

Said Ryan, “There weren’t sufficient funds to rehabilitate the bridge for pedestrians and build a new bridge [for vehicles only].” So it was decided to restore, modify, and strengthen the existing bridge to handle the requirements of modern vehicular traffic — while allowing for pedestrians and cyclists. The process required additional bracing, structural reinforcement, and a bulky new railing system.

Even though the overall lines of the original bridge remain, the structure has lost its airy appearance, now looking more clunky and heavy. However, while not totally pleased with the result, Ryan is happy the bridge still exists. His community activism and leadership saved the historic structure.

Little did Ryan know early in his career that, after receiving his engineering degrees — a bachelor’s from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master’s from Iowa State University — he would one day be involved with art and saving historic structures. In 1973, after working for three engineering companies, Ryan founded the structural engineering firm of J. Thomas Ryan Engineering in Troy, N.Y. In 1977, David Biggs joined him and their firm became Ryan-Biggs Associates.

Next time you see a historic structure facing the wrecking ball, think of Tom Ryan and how he saved a wonderful bridge for posterity. It’s something all structural engineers can do.

Richard G. Weingardt, P.E., is CEO and chairman of Richard Weingardt Consultants, Inc., a Denver-based structural engineering firm. He can be reached via e-mail at rweingardt@gostructural.com.