Oldtown Toll Bridge — Attraction in Paw Paw

I inspected and analyzed this bridge in the late 1980s. At the time it fell outside of Fed Highway or Maryland State Road Commission regulation but instead fell under the Public Service Commission, as if it were a utility. It hadn’t been inspected for years so, we at the Office of Bridge Development were tasked to rate the bridge. Certainly a one of a kind experience for me right out of college.

The super structure consists of railroad rails, which are made from an extremely high strength steel carrying a timber deck. The rails are tightly spaced and provide for considerable strength. The rails are also continuous over several consecutive piers, giving it more strength. At the time, I don’t believe it was posted (weight limits) seeing how well it rated out. This is an important Potomac River crossing. Without it the detour is like 30 or more miles.

Read on for more of its history. I’m amazed that some flood hasn’t washed this structure away in its nearly 100 year existence. For anyone who thinks it’s rickety,...

Unique experience. The bridge is historic and the only privately owned toll bridge in Maryland. There are no real rails and the bridge is extremely bumpy but has survived since the 1930s. Not necessarily terribly fast or efficient. We were sort of pressed for time meeting family at a cabin in West Virginia and thus were dismayed to find that the car in front of us appeared to be having a long social conversation with the toll booth attendant. I guess that kind of adds to the charm. Notably it is the only bridge over the Potomac for many miles and therefore you may have...

A cool little slice of history from the 1930's, this privately-owned one-lane bridge is completely different and unusual to the typical modern driving experience. It was a well-spent $1.50 to cross just for the fun of it. Surprisingly, it was very noisy crossing over with lots of wood clunks and metal squeaks. And only one car able to cross at a time. A local driver waiting on the other side was laughing at us filming the experience. The toll collector kindly answered our questions about the bridge history after collecting our fee in a...