Bell's Ford Bridge To Have New Home

WGN IN-36-03

 

Brownstown, IN, August 21, 2008 - Jackson County is giving away the remains of the Bell's Ford covered bridge that collapsed into the East Fork White River to become a centerpiece in the Benjamin Harrison State Park in Indianapolis.

Located East of Cortland, Ind., the bridge's west span collapsed in 1999, the east span fell in 2006. The 330-foot, two-span bridge was built in 1869 using the Post Truss, half wood, half iron.

The reconstructed bridge will cross Fall Creek and connect an Indy Greenways trail from a city park to the state park. Signs noting the bridge's Jackson County history will be posted at both ends of the bridge, which will be used only by pedestrians and bicyclists.

The bridge will be restored during a two-year, $2 million effort. A coalition of preservationist groups is applying for a federal grant to help pay for the project.