Hutsonville Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Hutsonville Bridge or Sullivan-Hutsonville Bridge connecting Crawford County, Illinois and Sullivan County, Indiana
over the Wabash River
, built 1939 and replaced in 1988, was an example of the relatively rare self-anchored suspension bridge
type. It was designed by Robinson & Steinman
, with R. V. Milbank as the resident chief engineer, and constructed by Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company
as general contractor and Vincennes Steel Corp/Wisconsin Steel Corporation as steel fabricators and Charles J. Glasgow as a subcontractor.
Note the use of multiple independent cables, rather than a large single interleaved and sheathed cable, as is typical for larger suspension bridges, or eyebar
s, often used in smaller bridges such as the Pittsburgh Seventh Street Bridge
also self-anchored.
Although the bridge was determined "eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places
" in 1987 due to the rarity of its type, the bridge was replaced in 1988 and demolished.
According to the Bridgemeister.com site referenced below, the demolition was controversial. The site in turn cites the September 26, 1988 issue of the Springfield, IL "The State Journal-Register" that the company to which the $100,000 demolition contract was let offered to turn the money over to save the bridge. The locals agreed, but the company's Chief Engineer Stephen Schneider was quoted, "I think Indiana really wants to tear it down. They've been ... forced to send inspectors out every two weeks. I think they just want the headache gone." Gary Abell, spokesman for the Indiana Dept. Of Highways said its design is "not one of the best. It works in theory, but not in practice. This is like trying to save a mistake." In 2002, an un-named INDOT representative was cited as saying, "I am not sure why you are interested in that bridge, but from our standpoint, it was a very poorly designed bridge that had many many problems from the day that it was completed, until it was brought down."
Sullivan County, Indiana
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana, and determined by the U.S. Census Bureau to include the mean center of U.S. population in 1940. As of 2010, the population was 21,475. The county seat is Sullivan. Sullivan County is included in the Terre Haute, Indiana,...
over the Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
, built 1939 and replaced in 1988, was an example of the relatively rare self-anchored suspension bridge
Self-anchored suspension bridge
A self-anchored suspension bridge is a suspension bridge in which the main cables attach to the ends of the deck, rather than to the ground via large anchorages...
type. It was designed by Robinson & Steinman
David B. Steinman
David Bernard Steinman was an American structural engineer. He was the designer of the Mackinac Bridge and many other notable bridges, and a published author. He grew up in New York City's lower Manhattan, and lived with the ambition of making his mark on the Brooklyn Bridge that he lived under...
, with R. V. Milbank as the resident chief engineer, and constructed by Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company
Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company
The Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company is, or was, a fabricator and erector of iron and steel bridges and other large structures. Information is difficult to find, but according to one source it was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1888. The Riemer family of Elm Grove, Wisconsin was heavily...
as general contractor and Vincennes Steel Corp/Wisconsin Steel Corporation as steel fabricators and Charles J. Glasgow as a subcontractor.
Note the use of multiple independent cables, rather than a large single interleaved and sheathed cable, as is typical for larger suspension bridges, or eyebar
Eyebar
In structural engineering and construction, an eyebar is a straight bar, usually of metal, with a hole at each end for fixing to other components...
s, often used in smaller bridges such as the Pittsburgh Seventh Street Bridge
Three Sisters (Pittsburgh)
A suspension bridge works by hanging a roadway from cables or chains under tension. Though a few unstiffened suspension bridges exist, a longitudinal stiffening truss or girder is usually added to prevent excessive movement of the deck. The cables pass over towers and are anchored at both ends...
also self-anchored.
Although the bridge was determined "eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
" in 1987 due to the rarity of its type, the bridge was replaced in 1988 and demolished.
According to the Bridgemeister.com site referenced below, the demolition was controversial. The site in turn cites the September 26, 1988 issue of the Springfield, IL "The State Journal-Register" that the company to which the $100,000 demolition contract was let offered to turn the money over to save the bridge. The locals agreed, but the company's Chief Engineer Stephen Schneider was quoted, "I think Indiana really wants to tear it down. They've been ... forced to send inspectors out every two weeks. I think they just want the headache gone." Gary Abell, spokesman for the Indiana Dept. Of Highways said its design is "not one of the best. It works in theory, but not in practice. This is like trying to save a mistake." In 2002, an un-named INDOT representative was cited as saying, "I am not sure why you are interested in that bridge, but from our standpoint, it was a very poorly designed bridge that had many many problems from the day that it was completed, until it was brought down."
External links
- Hutsonville Bridge entry at Bridges.midwestplaces.org
- HAER record on this bridge
- HAER design drawing details on cable self anchorage
- Hutsonville Bridge entry at Bridgemeister.com
%20%3cbr%3eHAER%20IND,77-GRAY.V,1-42&displayProfile=0){kind=link}
Further reading
- Ratigan, W. (1959). "Highways Over Broad Waters." Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. ASIN B0007IY0OC
- Cooper, James L. (1987) Iron Monuments to Distant Posterity - Indiana's Metal Bridges, 1870-1930.