3rd Street Bridge (1918)

Not all good news after looking through the rehab plans, included in next months INDOT letting. Half of the original arches and all of the spandrel walls will be removed along with portions of the concrete at the piers and abutments. The new sections will still be earth filled arches.

Bridge is to be restored!!! I did however notice new damage to the East side midway along the Southern most span on the sidewalk that looks to have been hit by a vehicle and pushed out.

Story below is from the May 13, 2011 Pharos Tribune Newspaper of Logansport. Picture can be found at that site as well that is very interesting...... http://pharostribune.com/local/x528364745/Third-Street-bridg...

Third Street bridge work coming

State officials plan to award contract this summer

by Lindsey Ziliak

Pharos-Tribune Pharos-Tribune Fri May 13, 2011, 08:00 AM EDT

LOGANSPORT — The historic Third Street bridge in Logansport is a step closer to being restored after more than a decade of planning and waiting.

Indiana Department of Transportation officials say a contract will be awarded July 13.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Cass County Planning Director Arin Shaver said.

Shaver said INDOT had been working on the project since the late 1990s. Original INDOT plans called for replacement of the bridge built in 1918 by Daniel B. Luten. A 2000 archeological report compiled by the state highway department said demolishing the original bridge would have no adverse effect on historical structures in Logansport.

Preservationists argued, however, that Luten was one of the state's most inventive concrete bridge engineers and one of Indiana's most prolific builders. His work was created in the early 20th century "City Beautiful" movement, they said, and the Logansport span is one of only three Luten bridges remaining in Indiana.

After much debate, INDOT compromised in 2003 and decided to restore the bridge — something the engineers discovered would actually cost less than replacing it.

Since then, Shaver said, INDOT has been working closely with historic preservationists on restoration plans.

“They’re trying to make everything on the bridge historic,” she said.

That includes the rails and lighting. Shaver said local officials had submitted several potential lighting designs to INDOT. Some closely resemble the downtown lighting while another option is similar to the lighting at Ivy Tech, she said.

“In the end, INDOT gets to choose,” she said. “It’s their project.”

INDOT also plans to repair the piers, or legs of the bridge, and redo the decking. Shaver said the sidewalks would also be widened so that the bridge can carry the multi-use Eel River Run Trail over the river.

Shaver noted that the project is actually ahead of schedule now.

“It’s been pushed back a lot,” she said. “Now that it’s a little bit ahead of schedule, hopefully it stays that way.”

That the project is moving forward and nearing the construction stage is significant for the community, Shaver said, especially now that the historic value will remain.

“It’s keeping with the historic character of our community,” she said.

She also likes the fact that the river will be visible from the bridge.

“You lose the beauty of Logansport when you put high walls up on the bridge,” she said.

• Lindsey Ziliak is a staff writer at the Pharos-Tribune. She can be reached at 574-732-5148 or lindsey.ziliak@pharostribune.com.

It is amazing that this bridge has survived so long. Very heavy traffic daily and it's got a severe turn when approaching it from the Southside. Many times the State DOT has repaired this bridge, including at one point installing cables along the walls to help anchor them. Walking over this bridge is SCARY while traffic(especially while larger vehicles and trucks)pass by as the entire structure can be felt shaking much worse than should be expected. It is amazing the concrete had survived that long with this constant hammering. Many in Logansport refuse to use this bridge when the Eel River is high for fear it will collapse. The state has reportedly made plans many times to replace this bridge, but it never materializes. One problem is the aforementioned curve, as both North and South sides have alignment problems with the rest of the roadway that involve nearby property being affected unless they engineer a double curve into the new bridge which I find unlikely. Time will tell. I am including a B&W aerial view of the bridge for those to see the alignment as it is today. Bridge will be the one in the middle. James

North 3rd Street in downtown Logansport. The bridge had a noticeable collapse of the west central spans side wall. The span seems to have survived and repairs were made to the side wal. The concrete arch is more pronounced now that it's been exposed by the collapse of the side wall.

GPS: 40.756214,-86.368353

1 looking upstream at the west face

2 downstreamside (west face)repairs

3 Dedication plaque

4 cement rails

5 looking downstream (east face)

6 repairs on the railing after it failed

Webmaster's note: The photos that were here have been incorporated into the main site.