Triple Whipple Truss Bridge in Dearborn County, Indiana. Photo taken by Tony Dillon.
There are many states that have comprehensive historic bridge policies that have successfully preserved as many of these vintage structures as possible. Indiana is one of those states that not only has one of the best historic bridge preservation policies in the country, but is one of a few states that still has over 60% of its historic bridges (bridges built prior to 1945) left in the state.
So it is no surprising that this year’s Historic Bridge Conference will go to Indiana, where pontists and other interested parties can take a look at the historic bridges, restored to their original beauty and ready for people to have a look at, photograph and show to others who are interested. Indiana has some unique bridges that will be part of the itinerary, including the Triple Whipple Truss Bridge in Dearborn County, the only bridge in the country that features diagonal beams supporting three panels. Then there is the Madison-Milton Bridge over the Ohio River, which is undergoing a makeover on its original piers. Then there are other bridges, such as Secrest Ferry Bridge, Pugh Ford Bridge and the Fort Ritner Bridge, just to name a few. Furthermore, there will three hours of speeches by many pontists and bridge experts and a documentary on historic bridge preservation by Julie Bowers. Among those speaking include Nathan Holth, Marsh Davis of the Indiana Landmarks Foundation and most importantly James Cooper, who is deemed the father of historic bridges and has spearheaded efforts to save historic bridges and inform the public about their importance for over 30 years.
Secrest Ferry Bridge in Monroe County. Photo taken by Tony Dillon
The event will take place during the third weekend in September, most notably, 21-23 September. For those interested in participating in the event, please contact Tony Dillon via e-mail at the following address: spansaver@hotmail.com
While the author of the Bridgehunter’s Chronicles will not be able to attend due to other commitments, the column will be indirectly involved in the conference which includes providing the readers with the highlights of the events through other pontists who will attend the event and contribute to the report. As soon as the information is available, it will be posted in the Chronicles.