Lullwater Bridge

Lullwater Preserve is a wilderness oasis in the middle of Decatur, Georgia. It is surrounded by Emory University, who own the property, along with the CDC and the Veteran’s Administration Hospital. The preserve is centered around the impressive Lullwater House, a Tudor-Gothic house built in 1926, home to Emory’s President. I was intrigued by the bridge, which provides a great aerial view of the surrounding forest, as it crosses the south fork of Peachtree Creek.
The bridge was built in 2008, partly to act as a pedestrian connection between Emory University and the Veteran’s Administration Hospital. Given the traffic problems of the greater Atlanta area, this bridge provides a 10-minute walking commute for doctors and researchers at Emory and the VA.
The towers of the bridge are 27 feet high, and the bridge itself is 210 feet long. It is obviously at three feet wide primarily a pedestrian bridge, though I imagine wildlife might well use it as a scenic route on their forest rambles.
The bridge parts were constructed in Seattle and shipped to Georgia. The bridge was built in slightly over a month by only four people. The speed and ease of construction was made possible through the use of special blocks and foundation. However, it is a sturdy bridge, with the mainlines anchored by rocks drilled 17 feet down into the ground. Since it was built with a minimal footprint, it appears as if it an ancient bridge with the surrounding mature forest of pines, oaks and tulip trees.
I shot this from a small tripod near ground level to give a sense of the length of the bridge, and the lushness of the surrounding forest. A lone figure sits on a rock at the far end reading a book, giving a sense of scale to the scene.