

The project involves the rehabilitation of Cass County
Bridge #123 located on CR 825 E near the town of Lewisburg. Bridge #123 is a
1913 Concrete Luten Arch. The structure was closed in 2003 due to the structure's poor condition.
In October 2005, while design for the bridges rehabilitation was
underway, a portion of the northern pier gave way causing two of
the western spandrel walls to collapse. There is severe substructure
deterioration and extensive rebar exposure and section loss at the piers. Cass
County is planning to rehabilitate the structure and restore it to its original
grandeur. The project will include minor right-of-way acquisition and
some roadway reconstruction to correct sight distance on the south side
of the structure and provide a parking area.
This bridge is listed in "Artistry and Ingenuity in Artificial
Stone, Indiana's Concrete Bridges, 1900-1942." by James L. Cooper, as being
eligible for the National register of Historic Places.
Residents appeared before the Commissioners on June 19,
2000, and expressed their desire for the rehabilitation of the existing
structure. At the time, the Commissioner requested that the County Engineer
investigate possible alternatives for this structure. The County retained
American Consulting Inc. of Indianapolis to perform the in-depth feasibility study
that showed the bridge could be repaired at less then the cost of a new
structure. The options for the County included rehabilitation, removal, or
to build a new structure. It took almost three years to obtain
Transportation Enhancement funding that provided the County with the ability to
rehabilitate the existing bridge and almost the same cost as to remove the
structure permanently. The County chose to provide favorable access to the
community of Lewisburg and to save a historically significant piece of Cass
County heritage.
The structure primarily serves the residents of
Lewisburg especially during foul weather. The community of Lewisburg is nestled on
the north banks of the Wabash River among hilly terrain. The bridge was
originally constructed in 1913 to serve this town and led to its development.
Without the bridge, the only access to this community is a twisting roadway up a
steep incline. Fire and rescue for the town is primarily located south of the
Wabash River in the town of Onward. Without this structure in place it will
take the fire department a critical additional ten minutes to respond.
When funding was
finally obtained in 2004, design for the structures
rehabilitation began immediately. It took over a year to
complete design and obtain permits that would allow construction
in the waterway of the environmentally sensitive Wabash River.
Due to collapse of the spandrel walls in October 2005, the
design process was expedited even more to allow for a January
2006 letting through INDOT. It is planned that the project
will be let in January 2006 and a Notice to Proceed will be
issued in March. It will take nearly one year to repair
the 93 year old structure.
Project Costs
- Preliminary Engineering
$ 177,000
- Right-of -Way Acquisition $
5,000
- Construction
$1,413,000
- Construction Engineering $
215,000
Total Cost
$1, 810,000
80% Federal aid 20% Local
For more information about this
project please contact the Cass County Highway Engineer at (574)
753-6766
 
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