Key Bridge: 1920

The Washington Post, Oct 30, 1920

Key Bridge Span Placed

Second to Be Lowered by Tide Between Abutment and Pier No. 1.

A second steel span, 187 feet long, was lowered in place between the Georgetown abutment and Pier No. 1 of the Key Bridge yesterday morning at 10 o'clock. This span, like the other will be used as a base to build the concrete arches.
The span was erected on a huge float and drawn between the two piers, finally being lowered in place by the falling of the tide. Capt. L. E. Oliver is in charge.

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This article doesn't refer to the span pictured (the Georgetown abutment would be at the bank to the left of the photo) but explains the ingenious method of construction which places the span without use of a crane. -PER

The photo is taken from the old Key Bridge, looking southeast. In the background you can see the Washington Memorial. The blur on the bottom right is the railing for the old Key Bridge. Only parts of this structure remain, the north landing in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Park, south of K St NW at "36th St NW" / Whitehurst Fwy. There are also pilings on the Virginia side, west of the bridge. There's no real way to stop on the George Washington Memorial Parkway to see the pilings.

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=qgh90c8k9qpx&style=...

Doesn't the FSK cross the Patapsco river, not the Potomac?

[It does. And it also crosses the Potomac. There are two Francis Scott Key bridges. - Dave]

[Sorry about the confusion. I'm a Baltimoron and didn't know there was an FSK in Washington, too. -WKH.]