The old stone bridge that spanned the River Oich was destroyed by flooding in 1849. To prevent a similar incident, a single-span bridge was commissioned for construction. Engineer James Dredge, along with his patented “taper principle,” was enlisted to design the new bridge. In 1854, the bridge was completed and first opened to the public. It acted as the main road bridge across the River Oich until 1932, when a two-lane concrete bridge was constructed. Once the bridge was rendered out of service, it fell into a state of disrepair and…