Taken From The Indiana DOT Website.
Alternatives To Destruction
There is no reason to tear down a historic truss bridge. Why? Because there are
so many alternatives, that road commissions should be able to choose one option
that both allows traffic to get where it needs to go, without costing an
excessive amount of money. Keep in mind that tearing a bridge down costs money.
Also keep in mind that the construction of a new bridge also costs money. Often
leaving the historic bridge closed, or making repairs to the bridge may cost
less than the total cost of bridge destruction and construction. Here are a few
alternatives.
Full Restoration:
Rehabilitate the bridge for vehicular use, in accordance with the treatment
approaches recommended by the Secretary of Interior's Standards for
Rehabilitation.
Full Restoration Through Retrofit:
Rehabilitate the bridge and retrofit the structure to carry legally loaded
vehicles.
Partial Restoration/Maintenance:
Either the owner or another party rehabilitates the bridge for vehicular use,
with size/weight limitations, or rehabilitate the bridge for non-vehicular use.
Add A Bridge For More Lanes:
Build a bridge next to the existing bridge, forming a one-way couplet, using
both bridges for vehicular use.
Build A New Vehicle Bridge, But Also Maintain Historic
Bridge:
Either the owner or another party bypasses the historic bridge and maintains the
historic bridge for either light vehicular use or non-vehicular use.
Relocate to Bridge Park:
The bridge is relocated and rehabilitated, by either the owner or another party,
for the purpose of serving vehicular or non-vehicular traffic, at a public
location.
Other Options, That Are Less Appealing, but
are Better Than Destruction:
Give the Bridge to A Private Individual (Like Me):
Another party relocates and rehabilitates the bridge at a location not available
to the public.
Do Nothing:
The original Owner does nothing to the existing bridge and it remains in its
existing condition. If the bridge is currently closed to traffic, or it has a
posted weight restriction, document the detour route around the bridge.
