You might forgive former Shelby County Commissioner Dave Mohr if he thought the topic of Bridge 13 would never be a cause for celebration.

After years of effort a ribbon cutting ceremony was held Monday and brought for some, a sigh of relief.  The historic steel truss bridge is now a prime feature on the trail through Blue River Memorial Park.

Mohr says he remembers talk of replacing the bridge at its location on 875 West as long ago as the late 70's.

Originally built in 1889, the structure was rehabilitated and now carries a shared-use path, the Blue River Trail, over a man-made water feature at Blue River Memorial Park in Shelbyville.  

The original structure was a 93-foot-long, narrow iron and steel Pratt truss, carrying one lane of traffic on CR 875 West over Buck Creek in northeast Shelby County. 

Mohr says time and traffic eventually caught up to the bridge.

In 2011, the bridge was closed to traffic due to damage and deterioration, with a sufficiency rating of 13. The bridge was classified as a “Select” Historic Bridge and described as an outstanding example of its type, but best suited for non-vehicular use based on condition and structural capacity constraints. The bridge was eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, but due to technicalities, the Shelby County bridge project was subjected to a full Section 106 process, including a Memorandum of Agreement.  An Alternatives Analysis determined the most “prudent and feasible” alternative was replacement of the existing bridge (which was completed in May 2019 and designated as “Bridge 219”),along with relocation of the historic truss, which now resides in Shelbyville Indiana’s Blue River Memorial Park. 

The bridge was marketed for re-use for a period of six months, followed by a public hearing to complete the public involvement process.  Construction was completed in July 2019.