If someone offers to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge, be wary. But if someone offers you a smaller, less famous bridge, it may very well be a genuine offer.

When historic bridges are replaced on projects that are using federal funds, the owner is required to try to find either a new use for the bridge or a new owner who will preserve the structure. This leaves some government agencies trying to find new owners for their old bridges. And if a vehicular bridge can be reused as a pedestrian, trail, or temporary bridge for lighter loads, everyone wins.

A few agencies have tried to auction off their bridges on eBay. Others sell them for one dollar. In most cases, they are not sold for profit. The buyer, however, usually has to pay to move the bridge to its new location.

Who buys bridges? Usually these bridges are acquired by other government agencies, neighborhood groups, trail organizations, contractors, and colleges and universities. But first, the new owners must determine if the bridge is capable of supporting the new design loads. Highway and railroad bridges, for example, are particularly well suited for re-use as pedestrian bridges because these loads are substantially less than what the bridges were originally designed to carry.

An example of this is when Livingston County wanted to replace their Covington Road Bridge. Designed by A. Lincoln Bush and built in 1903, it was one of the last remaining cast iron bridges of its kind built in New York State. The removal and replacement of this historic bridge was entirely dependent upon gaining the approval of the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO).

To gain SHPO approval for the replacement, the county found a rails-to-trails organization, the Genesee Valley Greenway, that will reuse the bridge girders and timber floor beams in a similar historical context.

Municipalities are not always successful in their recycling efforts. In 2002, The City of Rochester tried selling the Electric Avenue Bridge, a 170-foot bridge which spanned railroad tracks in northwest Rochester. However, potential buyers determined that it would cost too much to dismantle, ship, and reassemble the bridge in a new location.

The most common types of bridges that are sold are truss bridges from the late 1800s and early 1900s. These truss bridges are not as difficult to relocate as you might think. They were often designed to be moved. Many were originally manufactured at one location, sometimes in a different site, then transported to their current location.

Have you tried to sell or give away a bridge? If so, we would like to hear about your experience and share it with our readers. Write to us at solutions@fisherassoc.com.