The Cedar Ford Covered Bridge in Monroe County, Indiana, is a covered Burr Arch structure that carries Old Maple Grove Road over Bean Blossom Creek.
The Cedar Ford Covered Bridge, located in Monroe County, Indiana, is a Burr arch truss bridge spanning 127 feet.
Originally built in 1885 by the Kennedy Brothers in Shelby County, it carried German Road over the Little Blue River. 1 3 It received new siding and a fresh coat of paint in 1971. 6 It carried traffic until 1975 when the Shelby County Historical Society relocated it to the county fairgrounds. 1 3 It was improperly stored in the open, leading to deterioration and vandalism.
In 1989, the Historical Society sold the bridge remnants to Tracy Porter of Rushville, who had expressed interest in reconstructing the bridge on his property. 5
In 2000, Monroe County officials began searching for a new covered bridge, as the county’s last remaining covered span had long been removed. 1 2 County Commissioner John Irvine led the effort and discovered the remains of the Cedar Ford Covered Bridge. Using funds awarded in 2008 from the Federal Highway Administration’s National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program and local contributions, the county initiated a project to preserve and reconstruct the bridge. 4
Engineer Jim Barker of VS Engineering was contracted to design the reconstructed bridge, incorporating salvageable parts from the original structure. 1 2 The new location was set for Old Maple Grove Road, over Bean Blossom Creek, approximately 200 feet east of the former site of the McMillan Covered Bridge (also known as the Williams Bridge). The McMillan Covered Bridge, a 125-foot Smith truss built in 1871 by the Smith Bridge Company at a cost of $2,646, 1 had been restored for $20,000 in 1970 but was destroyed by arson in 1976. 4
The Cedar Ford Covered Bridge’s reconstruction, which cost $1.6 million to complete, was completed in May 2019. 1 2 County officials and the public celebrated the bridge’s opening on June 9.
Information
- State: Indiana
- Route: Old Maple Grove Road
- Type: Covered Burr truss
- Status: Active - Automobile
- Total Length: 127'
- Deck Width: 15.5'
- Total Height: 19'
Sources
- Rollins, Ernest. “Cedar Ford Covered Bridge is back.” Hoosier Times, 11 Jun. 2019.
- “Cedar Ford Covered Bridge Dedicated Sunday.” WBIW, 10 Jun. 2019.
- Birchfield, Rodger. “Shelby Plans Move of Covered Bridge.” The Indianapolis News, 31 Dec. 1974, p. 17.
- “Monroe County to get 1st covered bridge in 4 decades.” Princeton Daily Clarion, 15 Jun. 2015, p. 4.
- Graff, Jerry. “Cedar Ford covered bridge sold to Rushville man.” The Indianapolis News, 18 Aug. 1989, p. B5.
- “Last of Its Kind.” The Indianapolis News, 8 Apr. 1971, p. 18.