Sigler Bridge

Tony,

Just to clarify: Cherry Shoals is the Baltimore Truss, not this bridge.

Regards,

Art S.

FWIW Dexter, beet juice is not as cheap as salt and has to be mixed with salt to work. It's got its value but it's not the thing that's going to stop corrosion from de-icing.

Keep thinking--I give bonus points to senior projects that have a benefit to bridge preservation!

Baltimore trusses were more common on Railroads and thus ones built for highway use are pretty rare. And it's a very old... possibly pre-1880 span from a firm that has less examples remaining that some of the more prominent companies.

Luke, thank you for answering my question. I appreciate the information.

Not Tony, but one of the reasons is that it's one of a handful of extant examples of the early work of a regional bridge manufacturer, and sadly those numbers are dwindling.

Tony, do you care to briefly explain why Cherry Shoals is special ?

Seeing stringers rusted through is no big concern. They are thinner and thus more susceptible to section loss. In most occasions they have been replaced at some point, maybe more than once. From what I can see in the photos the truss members and floor beams appear to be in good shape!

And yes, even though the Cherry Shoals Bridge is the real gem and the Lowe Bridge is pretty special as well, it's always good to come across a large Camelback like this one!

Beet Juice

The ravages of Demon Salt. Someone who wants to preserve old bridges needs to come up with a cost effective melter that is harmless to (or even protects) steel.

I did not know the bridge was there until James found it while reviewing aerial imagery of the Little Wabash river. I have no idea when it was built or when it was closed. Cherry Shoals Bridge and Lowe Bridge are known in our county. This bridge is definitely a Hidden Gem.

if the approach stringers are rusted through in that many places, I wonder how long we have until the span falls into the river

My first photos were early in the morning. I went back today and had much better results.

View of remnants of approach on Crossville side...

Another view of approach...

Side view of remnants of approach from the side I went to this morning...

View from riverbank looking toward the Crossville side...

View from upper riverbank

After a approximately. 6 mile hike through waist high weeds on a remnant of the road I found the bridge

Closed Road on 1925 E via Centerville road...

A pleasant surprise while looking at aerial imagery