Facility 2298 Rail Bridge

Facility 2298 Rail Bridge blimpcaptain (Atlas Obscura User)

The rail bridge that still stands just off of Backlick Road near Fort Belvoir was once part of the war effort as the United States prepared for World War I.

The Fort Belvoir Military Railroad (FBMRR) was constructed in 1918 to transport troops and supplies to Camp AA Humphreys. It was also designed to mobilize and train engineers on skills required to support the war effort in France.

Facility 2298 (also called Bridge No. 4) belonged to the 4.51-mile FBMRR system, and was one of six wooden trestles that supported the railroad. In 1928, it was replaced by a sturdier span featuring concrete arches and practical reinforcements.

One of the other six bridges, Facility 1433 (or Bridge No. 5), was similarly rebuilt in 1928 as a concrete bridge, but that span, which straddled Rte. 1 and connected the north and south posts of Ft. Belvoir, was removed in 2014 to widen the road beneath.

Facility 2298, the last surviving bridge on the railroad, supported trains on the railway for another 65 years, providing passenger service through the end of the Korean War until 1993.

Know Before You Go

The marker is located on Backlick Road about a quarter-mile from where it meets the Fairfax County Parkway. The bridge is visible down a gravel path that juts off Backlick Road to the right. A fence and barricade that cordon off Ft. Belvoir are both on the other side of the bridge.