Braysville Bridge

The Braysville Bridge carries State Route 46 over the White River in Braysville, Indiana.

The Braysville Bridge carries State Route 46 over the White River in Braysville, Indiana. The five-span Parker through-truss bridge was constructed in 1937.

The bridge underwent rehabilitation in 1985, which included a new deck in spans D and E, an overlay across all spans, and cleaning and painting of the truss superstructure. ² It was repainted again in 1996.

A major rehabilitation project began in the fall of 2025. Work included repairing or replacing portions of the truss and floor systems, with deteriorated rivets replaced by high-strength round-headed bolts. ^{1 2} Members, gusset plates, and stringers were replaced in kind where necessary. Some lower chord members, gusset plates, bearing components, and exterior stringers were replaced, while selected floor beams, verticals, and diagonals were repaired using patch plates. Additional work included new repair plates on certain verticals and diagonals, lattice bracing, and connection plates on end-post diagonals.

The project also provided new lower chord members or repairs to existing members, new splice plate sections, and new gusset plates at selected lower chord connections. ^{1 2} Other improvements included new railings, deck drains, expansion joints, approach slabs, and a new bridge deck. The steel superstructure and bearings were cleaned and painted, abutments were repaired, and new riprap protection was installed around the abutments and piers.

Rehabilitation was selected as the most cost-effective option when compared to full replacement, based on the anticipated extension of service life. ² Prior to construction, the bridge was rated in poor structural condition, with approximately three feet of scour at Pier 3 and an HS-20 inventory load rating of less than 1.0.

The project is expected to extend the bridge’s useful life by approximately 40 years. ²