Lost Bridge
Facts
- Overview
- Through truss bridge over Laughery Creek on Bells Branch Road
- Location
- Dearborn County, Indiana, and Ohio County, Indiana
- Status
- Open to traffic
- History
- Built 1916
- Builder
- - Oregonia Bridge Co. of Lebanon, Ohio
- Design
- Pin-connected, 8-panel Pratt through truss
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 142.0 ft.
Total length: 146.9 ft.
Deck width: 17.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 13.6 ft.
- Recognition
- Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
- Also called
- Dearborn County Bridge #15 Ohio County Bridge #29
Bells Branch Road Bridge - Approximate latitude, longitude
- +38.93701, -85.09883 (decimal degrees)
38°56'13" N, 85°05'56" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 16/664778/4311504 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Bear Branch
- Average daily traffic (as of 2017)
- 100
- Inventory numbers
- INNBI 1500014 (Indiana bridge number on the National Bridge Inventory)
BH 15997 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection report (as of April 2017)
- Overall condition: Fair
Superstructure condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 59.9 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com
Update Log
- September 6, 2019: New photos from Mike Daffron
- September 20, 2018: New photos from Carl Crasher
- September 4, 2017: New video from Mike Daffron
- March 19, 2017: New photos from Mike Daffron
- October 23, 2016: New photos from Mike Mullins
- February 20, 2010: New photos from Joshua Collins
- February 19, 2010: New photos from Anthony Dillon
- January 30, 2010: New photos from Anthony Dillon
- October 28, 2009: New photos from Bill Eichelberger
- August 21, 2008: Updated by Anthony Dillon: common name and truss type
Sources
- Tony Dillon - spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com
- Bill Eichelberger
- Joshua Collins - Bigjc1979 [at] aol [dot] com
- Historicbridges.org - by Nathan Holth
- Mike Mullins
- Mike Daffron - daffmikron [at] gmail [dot] com
Comments
Visited this bridge on March 7, 2010 and was quite pleased with the fine restoration done on the old girl. Some of the Switzerland County people should go see it. Their Markland bridge could look this good rather than being scrapped by the 3 idiots who call themselves county commissioners.
SHHHHHH! Don't let the folks in Indiana know that you simply can not refurbish a truss bridge on a rural road that carries less than 100 vehicles per day.
Also don't tell the Hoosiers that if there are two truss bridges in one county, you can consider them common technology and demolish both of them!
So wonderful to see a bridge painted a color such that one can actually see the bridge! I wish a lighter color had been picked for the Triple Whipple Bridge.
Wow it looks like a totally different place! I need to get down there and see it.
Really glad to see this bridge restored. It looks great! I have visited this bridge many times. One of my favorites. The area certainly looks different with all the trees gone.
The ole' girl doesn't look so "lost" anymore. Beautiful restoration with a colorful paint job. The sway bracing had lots of section loss when I saw it last, good to see it fixed.
Hope to get down there and see her again soon!
Name plate info on the Ohio County end of the bridge:
1916
BUILT BY
THE OREGONIA BRIDGE CO.
LEBANON,OHIO
LUCIAN S. LOTTON
HENRY KAISER
HENRY BUSHMAN
COMM RS OF OHIO CO.
J.R.ELDER COUNTY AUDITOR.
A.W.KARSTETER ENGINEER.
Name plate info on the Ohio County end of the bridge:
1916
BUILT BY
THE OREGONIA BRIDGE CO.
LEBANON.OHIO
JOHN L. NOLTE
GEO.F.WOLF
FRANK BITTNER
COMM RS DEARBORN COUNTY
H.C.LUTHERBECK CO.AUDITOR
A.W.KARSTETER.CO.ENGR.
H.C. LUTHER
Yep.......the George Street Bridge. The name just escaped my memory before. Yes it was restored probably 15-20 years ago. I don't know where it or the Lost Bridge stand, I just know 2 years ago Dearborn County was seeking proposals from the firm I was with at that time. The Laughery Creek Bridge was definately the #1 priority to be restored. Hopefully the other two will follow soon.
Yeah I went down to the Tripple Whipple around the end of August to look at the construction, didn't get any pictures though. When you say Aurora bridge do you mean the George Street Bridge? It's not really in that bad of condition, but I guess it's better to do to work early rather than wait until the bridge is about to fall.
It has been in the works for a few years, but I honestly don't know where it's at now. They are currently restoring the Triple Whipple(Laughery Creek Bridge), and are also supposed to restore the Aurora Bridge. I'll try to find out more information.
That's good to hear, it really is a nice bridge in a very scenic location. Any idea when the work is to begin?
Don
Thanks for adding pictures of the Lost Bridge. The county has plans to rehab this neat bridge.
Tony
Visited the bridge today and got some pretty good pictures. Feel free to add these pics to the main description of the bridge.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/in/dearborn/1500014/
I live close to the Lost Bridge. The restoration of the bridge is beautiful. It is a peaceful place. A must see if one never has. Living in this area is a little piece of heaven.