Facts
- Overview
- Four-span through truss bridge over East Fork White River on US 231
- Location
- Dubois County, Indiana
- Status
- Open to traffic
- History
- Built 1932; rehabilitated 1985
- Design
- Through truss
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 197.8 ft.
Total length: 800.6 ft.
Deck width: 23.9 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 14.5 ft.
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +38.49583, -86.91333 (decimal degrees)
38°29'45" N, 86°54'48" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Inventory numbers
- INNBI 016710 (Indiana bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
BH 16084 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection (as of 01/2006)
- Deck condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 42.3 (out of 100) - Average daily traffic (as of 2004)
- 6,045
Comments
The new bridge was open Thanksgiving weekend (2007), and the demolition of the old bridge was well underway. Not sure of the exact opening date, but it could not have been long before I drove through there.
The project included a short new stretch of roadway that eliminated an S-curve on a hill leading down to the bridge (heading north). It was a blind curve because of the cut in the hill, and if there was something stopped on the bridge, you wouldn't know it until it was too late.
The old bridge itself was in rough shape, too, from the driving surface up ... I'd hate to think what it looked like from below! There were big chunks missing from at least a couple of the trusses, for example. The increase in traffic on 231 had a lot to do with it, but a lot of oversize/overweight loads surely did not help.
I will miss the old bridge, but I dare say the new one will be much safer!
The construction of the new roadway and bridge to rplace the present bridge can be seen in this photo.
Unfortunately, I think this bridge is scheduled for or in the process of being replaced. This was according to another website. Traffic on US 231 is very heavy and I believe the bridge has been strained by it. I sure hate to see a massive four-span structure to like this go. I only wish a new road could have been built further away if only things would work that way. I guess the only other example like this in Indiana is the SR 57 White River Bridge in Greene County but only it goes slightly up/downhill.