The Bell Bridge carries Indiana State Route 42 over Mill Creek in Putnam County, Indiana.
The Bell Bridge carries Indiana State Route 42 over Mill Creek in Putnam County, Indiana. It replaced the first fixed crossing at this location, an 84-foot covered bridge with a 16-foot-wide roadway, constructed in 1886. 1
In June 1940, the Indiana State Highway Commission awarded a $67,632 contract to George R. Harvey of Danville, Indiana, to construct a new bridge using a state design. 1 2 Completed in late spring 1941, the replacement was a 175-foot riveted Parker through truss with a 24-foot roadway, based on a revised version of the Commission’s third-generation standard plan No. 475A, which was used for several similar bridges statewide. The bridge was rehabilitated in 1973 with a new concrete deck and replacement stringers, 2 and again in 2015.
Details
- State: Indiana
- Route: IN Route 42
- Status: Active (Automobile)
- Type: Parker Through Truss
- Total Length: 180'
- Main Span Length: 175'
- Deck Width: 24'
- Roadway Width: 23' 10"
- Above Vertical Clearance: 14' 10"
Sources
- Holth, Nathan. “IN-42 Mill Creek Bridge.” HistoricBridges.org, 26 May 2019.
- Indiana Department of Highways. Inventory of Bridges on the State Highway System of Indiana. Indianapolis, 1989.