Photo courtesy of the Indiana State Department of Natural Resource, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology.
View more info about Indiana historic bridges from the SHAARD database
BH Photo #389725
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5O-WtY9ShE | Here's a link to a video I recently produced on the Cook Road Bridge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5O-WtY9ShE |
I believe this bridge is over Slab Camp Creek as The East Fork of Tanners Creek is located just downstream or south of here. I have canoed all of the major streams of Dearborn County (East and West Forks of Tanners Creek, North and South Branches of Hogan Creek, Laughery and Tanners Creeks and Whitewater River). I do not remember paddling under this bridge on the way to the park at Guilford.
Although I am unable to find any real proof, I believe that this bridge is part of the original State Route 1 also known as the Lawrenceburg/Brookville Road. After examining the lay of the land north and south of the bridge it's very likely this was the original bridge until it was bypassed when State Route 1 was realigned in the early 1940's.
These pictures were taken on January 3rd & 5th, 2010.
I hate to inform on this. As of Easter Sunday 4-24 I was riding in a car down SR 1 and looked over and saw the west end of this bridge collapsed into the creek. The east end was still on the abutments though. Sad sight to see if it happened a metal girder bridge much rather than a UCEB. I don't know whether it was abutment failure from rushing water, neglect, or property owners demolition. I remember this bridge was serving Cook Road until the new bridge was built to the south in the 90s. It could have been used by SR1 at some time. I just hope some use can be made with this bridge as a bridge rather than sending it to the scrapyard.