812-886-0360We have worked on this bridge between Wheatland and Washington Indiana for may years, but it finally got some state and federal funding so that it could be finished up with a nice coat of paint as well.
Knox County Bridge #45 near Wheatland Indiana
The West end, or Knox County end was raised almost 3 feet while the grade on the road was also cut down to lessen the impact of traffic as it approached the bridge. Most of the roadway and dirt that was removed from the East side was taken across the bridge in smaller dump trucks and the East approach to the bridge was filled up to allow for a flat approach to the bridge as opposed to the old steep approach that was there.
Also added were heavy tube railing above and below the existing Lattice rail to reinforce the sides of the bridge in case of accidents. Some sections of the old lattice rail were replaced with new sections, along with most of the old railing that was reused had to be straightened.
Raising up the West end required careful jacking and supporting of the ends of the truss and then adding on to the old abutment , this also required the building of a deadman of concrete to help retain the new section of abutment from moving.
At the next pier, the ends of the truss were raised 9 inches to maintain an even slope of the entire bridge. Again the ends of the trusses from two spans had to be jacked up and supported while new concrete was poured under the bearing assemblies.
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- Knox bridge 45 back in the 1930s
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- Early pic of the bridge from INDOT
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- High above the White river
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- Shortly after the new steel grating was installed in 2006
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- Showing the new and old stringer beams when the new steel grating was installed
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- All new steel grating installed in 2006
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- knox/daviess
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- knox/daviess
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- knox/daviess
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- knox/daviess
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- knox/daviess
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- View from the west after clearing of all the trees to improve the sight line
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- After all the old wooden floor was removed for the steel grating to be installed in 2006
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- One of the old original plaques
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- Looking along the side of the bridge before the most recent renovations
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- Before the most recent renovations were begun
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- The old approach from the East
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- Looking east from the hill on the Knox county side leading up the the bridge
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- Looking between two of the spans at the river
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- Looking through the truss on the newly installed steel grate flooring
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- Looking along the truss
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- Looking along the truss
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- Between two spans at the new grate floor
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- One of the repaired plaques for making new ones
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- Looking down on the truss after clearing has been completed
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- A view of the jacking of the trussed between spans
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- Raising and supporting the ends of two spans of the truss
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- Jacking up the west end of the truss
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- supporting the truss after being raised almost 3 feet.
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- The supported truss
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- Supporting the truss
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- After the truss has been raised almost 3 feet
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- Looking from the west after the old road way has been cut down drastically
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- Showing the new pavement up to the west end of the truss
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- Straightened sections of the old lattice railing
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- Straightened lattice with new tube railing above and below it
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- A view from along the river bank
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- Looking down the newly installed railing
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- Looking at the new railing
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- A side look at the new railing
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- Sandblasting and painting
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- Covered for painting, looking like a large tent
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- Looking at the west end of the newly painted bridge
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- A look from the west before construction began
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- New paint and a new plaque above
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- From the west at the top of the hill
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- From along the river bank
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- A look at the new railing all painted up
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- A new looking old bridge
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- Welcome to the bridge
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- From the ribbon cutting ceremony