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US 421/Indiana 39 Freeman Lake Bridge

Carroll County, Indiana, and White County, Indiana

Photos 

Photo courtesy of the Indiana State Department of Natural Resource, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology.

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View more info about Indiana historic bridges from the SHAARD database

BH Photo #158206

Map 

Street View 

Facts 

Overview
Lost two-span through truss bridge over Freeman Lake on US 421
Location
Monticello, Carroll County, Indiana, and White County, Indiana
Status
Replaced by new bridge
History
Built 1934; rehabilitated 1978; replaced 2001, SHAARD Database list build date of 1938
Builders
- Indiana State Highway Commission
- W.C. Babcock Grain Co. (Contractor)
Design
Parker Through truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 198.2 ft.
Total length: 505.9 ft.
Deck width: 24.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 14.5 ft.
Also called
Bill Luse Bridge (Current Bridge only)
Indiana State Highway Bridge #39-08-1604A
Approximate latitude, longitude
+40.72667, -86.75667   (decimal degrees)
40°43'36" N, 86°45'24" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
16/520548/4508443 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Monticello South
Land survey
Jefferson(Carroll County)Township
Average daily traffic (as of 2004)
7,112
Inventory numbers
INNBI 032340 (Indiana bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
BH 38874 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection report (as of September 2017)
Overall condition: Fair
Superstructure condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 96 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com

Categories 

Beam (15,664)
Built 1934 (790)
Built during 1930s (11,719)
Carroll County, Indiana (99)
Concrete tee beam (3,158)
Functionally obsolete (6,459)
Have street view (26,862)
Indiana (4,911)
Indiana State Highway Commission (59)
Lost (24,623)
Lost 2001 (449)
Lost during 2000s (4,177)
 Monticello, Indiana (9)
Owned by state (15,943)
Parker through truss (1,293)
Parker truss (1,674)
Replaced by new bridge (16,498)
Span length 175-250 feet (1,987)
Through truss (15,023)
Total length 500-1000 feet (2,867)
Truss (32,715)
W.C. Babcock Grain Co. (1)
White County, Indiana (50)

Update Log 

  • March 16, 2010: Updated by James Norwood: Corrected highway info, added other info, photos
  • January 31, 2009: Added by James Baughn

Sources 

  • James Norwood
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Comments 

US 421/Indiana 39 Freeman Lake Bridge
Posted March 16, 2010, by James Norwood

I remember crossing this bridge many times while living in Roth Park as a teen. Some may call this the Madam Carroll Bridge as well. This is due to the boat(as seen to the left of the current bridge in the google street view)that calls it's home right beside the bridge on the Carroll County side. This boat was built and ran by the late Bill Luse, for who the current bridge is now named. It is/was the largest inland water vessel in Indiana and features live entertainment and weekly excursions along the length of Lake Freeman during the summer months. Another local landmark is on the other side of the bridge approach. The Sportsman's Inn was a popular hideout for many in years past. Just upstream from this bridge was the old Monon Railroad bridge, now removed, and beside it is the still remaining Tioga Bridge.

I believe the current 421 bridge was built beside the old truss bridge if my memory is correct. It was slid over into place after completion and after the truss was brought down. I remember seeing the construction of this newer structure on the downstream side of the old bridge.