The Calvin S “Runt” Powell bridge over the Bannister River

The Calvin S “Runt” Powell bridge over the Bannister River

Calvin S “Runt” Powell

Calvin S “Runt” Powell, was the first citizen of Halifax county to be honored, by having a bridge named after him. I never met the man, but I do recall stopping in his store at least once, in one of my many journeys. I did a little research after seeing the bridge and taking some pictures

The Bridge

The bridge is a “Parker Truss” bridge, that officially opened in early February 2019

The Location

The bridge is located about 6 miles E of South Boston in Halifax county

Humpback Bridge

Humpback Bridge

The humpback bridge dates back to 1857, and is Virginia’s oldest covered bridge. The bridge is located about three and a half miles west of Covington Virginia.

Table of Contents

Wayside

The wayside around the bridge, with a couple benches and grassy areas is a nice place to relax, unless there is a passing freight train crossing the bridge 30 yards to the north, but if you like trains, it is a good place to watch trains from.

History

The current bridge is the forth bridge to be built here, with the previous 3 being lost to either fire or flood, and was in continuous use foe 72 years, from 1857 until 1929. The bridge was abandoned in 1929 after the construction of a wider steel bridge about 100 yards north, that bridge has been replaces at least twice that I am aware of

Location