Davis Ferry Bridge
Facts
- Overview
- Pratt through truss bridge over Wabash River on Davis Ferry Road in Lafayette
- Location
- Lafayette, Tippecanoe County, Indiana
- Status
- Open to pedestrians only
- History
- Built 1912
- Builders
- - American Bridge Co. of New York (Fabricator)
- Lafayette Engineering Co. of Lafayette, Indiana (Design & Contracting)
- Design
- (3)9-panel, riveted Pratt through trusses
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 177.7 ft.
Total length: 540.7 ft.
Deck width: 16.0 ft.
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +40.47620, -86.87071 (decimal degrees)
40°28'34" N, 86°52'15" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 16/510959/4480621 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Lafayette East
- Inventory number
- BH 36724 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- February 10, 2018: New photos from Mike Daffron
- August 28, 2016: New photos from Mike Daffron
- January 22, 2011: New Street View added by Jacob P. Bernard
- January 21, 2011: New Street View added by Jacob P. Bernard
- February 15, 2010: Updated by Anthony Dillon: Added GPS coordinates
- June 22, 2008: Added by Tom Hall
Sources
- Tom Hall - thomas [dot] hall [at] ffni [dot] com
- Tony Dillon - spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com
- Jacob P. Bernard
- Mike Daffron - daffmikron [at] gmail [dot] com
Comments
I grew up right by this bridge on Davis Ferry Road! I have lots of fond memories of the land, the river, and that bridge! Caught my first sturgeon underneath it. I moved into town in 1991 and finally to Indy in 1997 and haven't seen it since, everything looks mostly unchanged, glad to see the old neighborhood one more time!
This bridge taught me that what you THINK you see, is not necessarily what is there! I lived in Lafayette and West Lafayette from October, 1957 through January, 1958. Each time I drove across this bridge, I was SURE there could not possibly have been room for the cars in both lanes. Yet each time, as I used my blind faith (or the reasoning that I could see other cars making it across alright), sure enough, I got to the other side unscathed. I was very glad to find this page and to see that the bridge is still there and being enjoyed. And, just think! All without the worry engendered by driving across it.
Visited this Jewel today as I had family event today in Lafayette. Had time to kill so I plugged in the GPS and it took me right to this bridge. Took a nice pic of the Frozen Wabash River with my phone. Shame I don't have a data cord for the phone to upload the pic to the site.
The railway bridge is still active, as seen in this pacing shot take early Friday morning - May 8th, 2009
Finally, there are pics up of the Davis Ferry Bridge!
It is quite an amazing structure still stretching across the Wabash. It was fun to walk across when I visited. I've always wondered why this bridge and the Jewettsport Ford Bridge are still standing. Is it because they represent engineering work which nearby Purdue University is does alot with? The bridge may have been bypassed way back in the mid 70s according to something I read or heard. There is also a through truss railroad bridge very visible from the new bridge.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/in/tippecanoe/davis-ferry/
was there today, 3-23-2018
Bridge looks great.