I went back to the old US 52 bridge this morning to check progress. First of all, by popular demand, here’s a map of the area. It shows enough context that if you’re familiar with Indianapolis, you should be able to find the bridge.
The demolition crew has begun to remove the bridge’s deck, revealing some of the structure below. This is the top of an arch on the 1930s side of the bridge.
Over on the 1920s side of the bridge, reinforced concrete beams were laid down to support the deck; the arches lay below. It’s interesting to me that the 1930s side of the bridge did not use beams like these.
The most interesting sight today was a segment where the entire deck is gone. The 1920s bridge’s original outer wall has been revealed.
Stepping back a bit, it’s clear that the 1920s bridge was pretty narrow. My experience is that this is typical of Indiana bridges built around the same time. Check out the photos in this post about a bridge in southern Indiana built around the same time.
Schedule permitting, I’ll keep checking back on this old girl as she is dismantled.
See the rest of this bridge’s demolition! See the intact bridge, the north half of the bridge gone, and the entire bridge removed.
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