Photos 

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Overview

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Main span

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Close-up of tower

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Looking up while crossing

Photo taken by Tom Hall in July 2007

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overview

Photo taken by Tom Hall in July 2007

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Approach from Indiana side

Photo taken by Tom Hall in July 2007

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Photo taken by Don O'Brien in July 2008

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Looking South

Photo taken by James McCray

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Deck View (South View)

Photo taken by James McCray

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Deck Truss Detail (Looking Southwest)

Photo taken by James McCray

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Oblique View (Looking Southwest)

Photo taken by James McCray

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Oblique View (Looking Northwest)

Photo taken by James McCray

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Northwest View of Truss

Photo taken by James McCray

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Closeup of Truss (Looking Northwest)

Photo taken by James McCray

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Map 

Vicinity Map

Vicinity map

Map links:

Facts 

Overview
Cantilevered through truss bridge over Ohio River on US 421 between Madison, IN, and Milton, KY
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built 1928-29; rehabilitated 1997
Design
Cantilevered through truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 600.0 ft.
Total length: 3,184.2 ft.
Deck width: 20.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 16.8 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+38.72838, -85.37011   (decimal degrees)
38°43'42" N, 85°22'12" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
16/641677/4287895 (zone/easting/northing)
USGS topographic map
Madison East
Inventory number
BH 16383 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection (as of 11/2005)
Deck condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Appraisal: Not deficient
Sufficiency rating: 33.0 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic (as of 2004)
3,498

Update Log 

  • May 11, 2009: New photos from James McCray
  • January 10, 2009: New photo from Don O'Brien
  • August 11, 2008: New photos from Tom Hall
  • July 10, 2005: Posted photos from Jonathan Maxwell

Sources 

  • Tom Hall - thomas [dot] hall [at] ffni [dot] com
  • Don O'Brien - dok97 [at] verizon [dot] net
  • James McCray - jamesinslocomb [at] yahoo [dot] com

Comments 

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted May 5, 2009, by Anthony Dillon (spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com)

By the way....I found the links for this don't work, so you have to type it in.

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted May 5, 2009, by Anthony Dillon (spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com)

The correct site for this is http://www.madisonmiltonbridge.com

Even though it is called the Milton-Madison Bridge project. Madison is like 20X larger than Milton so I would think it should be named first. But I guess Kentucky Transportation Dept. has the lead on this......so I guess they put the Kentucky town first.

Anyway..........The site annoys me, because it talks about the history of both of these towns but says nothing about the history of the bridge. A new bridge should be built in a different location, and the old bridge maintained for pedestrian use.

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted May 5, 2009, by LBW (lbw1 [at] indy [dot] net)

The progress of the Milton-Madison Bridge Project can now be followed at www.miltonmadisonbridge.com.

I'm no expert, but it seems to me the logical choice for the site of the new bridge would be on the same site as the old bridge. A new bridge superstructure and butressed piers will cost taxpayers enough as it is without having to design and build new approaches on both sides of the river as well. Just an opinion, of course.

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted March 20, 2009, by Don

Lol, check out this picture on Google street view. That guy is insane!

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Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted March 19, 2009, by Don

The bridge will soon have a 15 ton weight restriction. There is some interesting information on the website.

"Why is the weight limit posting necessary?

There are several fracture critical members suffering from significant section loss or

cracking. This has compromised their strength. By removing the large trucks on the

bridge we reduce the stress levels on these members."

Is the bridge safe for passenger vehicles?

We believe the bridge to be safe for cars and box trucks. Otherwise the bridge would be

closed. The posted limit has the effect of restricting commercial vehicle traffic such as

tractor-trailers and dump trucks from the bridge.

Yikes, I don''t cross that often but if I do I think I'll use the Markland Dam. They "believe" the bridge is safe, did they just clap their hands together three times and say "I believe!"? I know if you have to cross everyday that isn't a great option since it's 26 miles away.

Milton-Madison Bridge
Posted March 19, 2009, by Anonymous

The correct name of this bridge is the Milton-Madison bridge.

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted February 24, 2009, by Don

Information about replacing the bridge can be found here

http://www.miltonmadisonbridge.com/

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted February 23, 2009, by Tom Woodburn (twoodburn [at] earthlink [dot] net)

Is there or was there a sister bridge to the Madison Milton bridge across the Ohio River?

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted February 3, 2009, by Don

Bridge is currently down to one lane while crews gather core samples.

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted December 10, 2008, by Don (sega65 [at] gmail [dot] com)

You are now able to travel this bridge via google streetview!

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted September 15, 2008, by Don

Went by the bridge on September 15th and it was as open as ever. Must not have been closed long.

Madison-Milton Bridge CLOSED
Posted September 15, 2008, by Don

As of September 14th the bridge is closed to traffic as a precaution due to reports that pieces of concrete were blown off by the recent wind storms. It will remain closed until the Transportation Cabinet can inspect it and declare it safe.

Here is a link to the news story about it

http://www.fox41.com/Global/story.asp?S=9007167

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted September 14, 2008, by Don

As of September 14th this bridge is closed due to reports of concrete being blown off by the recent wind storm. It will be closed until it can be inspected and declared safe.

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted August 5, 2008, by Calavera

Here are a couple of very interesting historical pictures of the bridge. The first one is construction of the bridge in 1928. The second picture is the from the first year the bridge was opened in 1929. Some interesting facts, the first person to cross the bridge was an 11 year old boy on a bicycle. The first vehicle to cross was a greyhound bus.

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Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted May 1, 2008, by J Blakeslee

No pedestrians are allowed on this bridge.

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted August 15, 2007, by LBW

State and Federal Governments constantly argue over where the funding of such projects should originate. But one can rest assured that if the bridge were to be suddenly rendered unusable - or collapse, God forbid, funding would somehow be found to replace it immediately. Why doesn't the State of Kentucky simply float a 20-30 year bond for their portion of the cost to replace the bridge, and the recover the cost by assessing tolls from those who use it, much like they did when the bridge was first erected?

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted August 3, 2007, by Anonymous

In 2008-2009 this bridge will be 80 yrs old. It has a rating of 40.10 that is totally unacceptable. It's frightening that every day hundreds of cars cross this bridge and it is deemed to be that unsafe.

I fortunatly do no have to cross this bridge very often except to visit family, but every time I do my heart is in my throat wondering if it will collaspe like the Silver Bridge did into the Ohio River in 1967 or the Minn. bridge did on Aug 1st 2007 into the Mississippi River.

What does it take to replace this bridge?? The thing falling in like the Silver Bridge or the Minn. one with dozens of people hurt & killed??? I blame this on the Govenor of both IN & KY, the state DOT in both state and any one else who is blocking the replacement of this bridge. If it falls in, any one who is killed, their blood is on your hands.

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted August 3, 2007, by deb (debee13 [at] aol [dot] com)

I live in Madison,have all my life, This bridge is so unsafe,Our Mayor has been trying forever to get a new one started but this belongs to Kentucky and they say there is no money available, a group of kids did a report on it 2 yrs ago took pictures of the rusted out bolts and beams on this thing when traffic crosses it you can see them wiggle back and forth, Why cant we get something done before we end up like those poor people in Minnesota? Kentucky says they will put it in a 10yr plan.Please help us this is the only bridge that crosses the river for a 40 mile stretch in either direction it was built in 1928-29 not built for all the heavy traffic it carries everyday.

Madison-Milton Bridge
Posted August 18, 2006, by Mark Gish (mgish [at] seidata [dot] com)

As of Aug 2006, Indiana and Kentucky have funded the environmental and engineering studies to begin the process of replacing this bridge with a modern structure. Location, design and cost for the new bridge may be shaping up to be a bone of contention. The fate of the current structure is also in question. Some interest in converting it to a pedestrian bridge has been expressed.