During a photography excursion with Jeffrey Jakucyk at Rentschler Forest MetroPark in Butler County, Ohio, we discovered two stone arch bridges spanning Kennedy Creek along the Miami & Erie Canal alignment.
The first bridge we encountered was originally constructed for the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad’s East Middletown Branch, which was finished in 1895. In 1917, it came under the ownership of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, serving the stretch between Hamilton (milepost 0) and Woodsdale (milepost 5.9). However, when a shortcut was built connecting Wooddale to New River Junction in New Miami in 1927, this particular section was abandoned. As part of the changes, a new bridge over the Great Miami River was erected. Nowadays, the stone arch bridge is utilized as a roadway within the park.
Adjacent to the railroad bridge, there is another stone arch bridge intended for a trail. At the time of our visit, this trail bridge was undergoing partial reconstruction of a deteriorating wing wall. This crossing was originally part of Canal Road, which followed the path of the Miami & Erie Canal north of Hamilton.
Another future update will cover findings along the historic and long-abandoned Miami & Erie Canal.