Bostick Road Bridge

Visit Historic Bridges of the Midwest's Page For This Historic Bridge

This bridge will be replaced in 2007.

Most Recent Visit: April 2, 2006

A Brief Technical Overview

This bridge is a pin connected Whipple through truss. Whipple truss bridges are also referred to as double-intersection Pratt truss bridges. The bridge was built in 1894 by the Canton Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio. The bridge is composed of thirteen panels yielding a span of 165 feet. Extensive sway and portal bracing, which feature decorative curved designs in the corners, add to the intricate beauty that make up this bridge. Extensive v-lacing is present on the bridge, and lattice is present on the original railings, and the portal bracing. The bridge retains a great deal of historic integrity, as I only noticed only very minor modifications. One was a replaced deck, which today is composed of corrugated steel with an asphalt driving surface. The other modification was some small strips of steel added to a portion of the vertical members. Finally, one guardrail panel was replaced, likely due to some idiot crashing into the bridge. The bridge is a single-span structure, and sits on stone abutments. Prior to being closed in April 2004, the bridge was posted for a five ton weight limit. The bridge appears to be in good condition, with the exception of the floor beams which are clearly in very bad shape.

All I Ask For Is A Compromise

One of the goals of this website is to speak out against the atrocities being done against our transportation heritage, often in the form of truss bridge demolitions. There is no excuse that any government official can give me that will justify demolishing a metal truss bridge such as the Bostick Road Bridge. I believe that with every truss bridge, there is some reasonable solution in which the truss bridge is not demolished. The United State is a country built on compromise, even if people today, who always seem to take black and white sides, have forgotten it. Our Bill of Rights is perhaps the best known single example. I believe a solution with a bridge such as the Bostick Road Bridge can be found where all interested parties can be satisfied. Even if the bridge were serving a heavily traveled highway that needed to be widened to four lanes, the bridge could be preserved in another location, or the new bridge could be built in a different location. If money is short, than the bridge could be left standing as it is until money becomes available. But the truth is, if the rusted floor beams on the Bostick Road Bridge were replaced like was done with the Hurshtown Bridge, it is likely this bridge could continue to serve the light traffic of Bostick Road once again. Usually options that restore the bridge for vehicular traffic actually end up costing less than demolition and rebuilding of a bridge combined. This seems like a solution that is better than a compromise; it sounds like a win-win situation to me! Not only is the bridge saved, but less tax payer dollars are used. Even if it did cost more, I feel that there is a responsibility to preserve historic truss bridges because of their cultural heritage.

A Possibility Of Hope?

The Fort Wayne area's historic preservation group, ARCH may have been the deciding factor that kept the Bostick Road Bridge from being sentenced to the dumpster. ARCH was able to convince Allen County to dismantle and store the bridge with the idea that in the future a new location will be found to relocate the bridge to for restoration. While a bright future for this bridge is not guaranteed, as many steps after disassembly will require completion to ensure a successful restoration project, ARCH has taken this bridge out of the bottomless pit that traditional demolition plans place upon a historic bridge. I will continue to follow any developments surrounding this bridge and add any updates I learn about to this page.

130 Vehicles... That Sounds Like A Lot... But Is It?

Although the articles are no longer available for free on the Internet, a couple news articles were published in the Fort Wayne News Sentinel relating to the bridge. One article cited the average daily traffic (ADT) was 130 vehicles, and so the bridge needed to be reopened. OK, I can understand that, but why not reopen the crossing with the truss bridge. Is a one-lane bridge safe on a road that carries 130 vehicles a day? I did some math, and assuming all traffic occurred within a 12 hour period, say from 6:00AM to 6:00 PM, that would mean about 11 cars were using the bridge per hour. That is not a lot of cars, and so the chance of two meeting up on the bridge at the same time is low. Not to mention, demolishing a priceless historic artifact and building an expensive new bridge is a lot of taxpayer money to satisfy 130 people. Why not preserve the truss bridge and satisfy those 130 plus countless people today and future generations who will be able to visit the historic bridge?

The newspaper article also said that a person who lives in the area was happy that the bridge was being replaced. I do not know why, other than that the road would be open again. But if the existing bridge were restored, this would also re-open the road. This person apparently used the road to get to US-27 and I-469. As if there is no other way to get to US-27 and I-469. Check out my map page. Wow! There is another way... actually there are a couple, and neither are that far away. I bet the alternative route costs people maybe two minutes of their time. If that bugs people so much, then I am surprised anyone eats fast food, which often is not so fast, as you stand there for ten minutes waiting for people to figure out what you ordered and how to make it!

What has this bridge ever done to deserve being ripped apart, melted down, and turned into Japanese cars, but serve faithfully for over a century? Some people may look at a bridge and see nothing but a pile of steel, but these people are not truly seeing what a bridge like this is. The fact is, people died to make this bridge a reality. Ask anyone who lived around Pittsburgh 50 years ago. Ever heard of Donora, Pennsylvania? People died in the pollution caused by the steel mill in town. Other steel mills also produced such pollution, causing misery, sickness and even death in people who lived around and/or worked in the mill. The people who worked in these steel mills worked to produce the materials to build such bridges. Their sacrifices helped to facilitated transportation during a key period where technological developments were being produced, such as the automobile that people like so much today. Thomas Edison literally lived through the truss bridge era, from 1870s bowstrings to massive-membered 1920s truss bridges. These bridges, like war memorials, serve as a memorial to people who gave the ultimate sacrifice to move out nation forward. We owe our prosperity to the metal truss bridge, and the preservation of these bridges is essential. This is not even beginning to explore the intricate artistic geomety that I feel makes truss bridges beautiful. Truss bridges should really be preserved based on their aesthetic value alone. But some people seem to need more reasons than that, and so a look at the historic value behind them is necessary also.