Barkers Creek Swinging Bridge in Whittier, North Carolina

This bridge—known both as Barkers Creek Swinging Bridge and Tuckasegee Swinging Bridge—is one of the few remaining examples of a crude swinging bridge built to provide pedestrian access to remote areas in the Appalachian mountains. Many in the region were built using parts from older bridges, and that seems to be the case here. The bridge is owned and maintained by the state. It was built to provide access to the road for residents living across the river but on the eastern side of the rail tracks to give ease of access to the highway. Look closely and you’ll see this bridge has a 1906 builder plaque for the Roanoke Bridge Company; however, the plaque probably refers to the bridge from which parts this footbridge were built. The actual date of construction is unknown.

Mar 26, 2025 - 15:22

Barkers Creek Swinging Bridge in Whittier, North Carolina

View south across bridge.

This bridge—known both as Barkers Creek Swinging Bridge and Tuckasegee Swinging Bridge—is one of the few remaining examples of a crude swinging bridge built to provide pedestrian access to remote areas in the Appalachian mountains. Many in the region were built using parts from older bridges, and that seems to be the case here. The bridge is owned and maintained by the state. It was built to provide access to the road for residents living across the river but on the eastern side of the rail tracks to give ease of access to the highway.

Look closely and you’ll see this bridge has a 1906 builder plaque for the Roanoke Bridge Company; however, the plaque probably refers to the bridge from which parts this footbridge were built. The actual date of construction is unknown.