Abandoned US 62 Bridge, Elizabethtown, Kentucky

Located in Hardin County, Kentucky, this old concrete span was abandoned and bypassed in the late 1980s.  While in very good shape, it was replaced because its a one-lane bridge in a rather grown up area.  US 62 runs through nearby Elizabethtown, and having a bottleneck like this in the area simply wasn't an option.

Abandoned World War Two Bailey Bridge, Shelbyville, Kentucky

Located in downtown Shelbyville, Kentucky, this abandoned bridge is hidden amidst trees and terrain.  Hiding with it is a strange secret, that it is unlike any other bridge in the state of Kentucky.  How so?  Its a relic of World War Two, a portable Bailey Bridge, designed to be installed by combat engineers in the middle of a battle.  How it got here is unclear, but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Forgotten Graveyard under a Baseball Field, Jeffersonville, Indiana

In the midst of construction work for a new pedestrian bridge in Jeffersonville Indiana, a Civil War Cemetery was rediscovered.  While its existence wasn't a mystery, its exact location was.  As it turns out, children had been playing baseball on top of a graveyard for the better part of a century.

Abandoned bridges on River Road, Louisville, Kentucky

Tracing the Ohio River along the northern boundary of Jefferson County, Kentucky, River Road has a large number of abandoned and bypassed bridges.  Today we will explore a few, starting with this vintage stone structure crossing Goose Creek.

Abandoned Storage Units, Jeffersonville, Indiana

We've been to a lot of interesting and strange places while working on this site, most of which were notable only for what we saw.  These abandoned storage units, on the other hand, were truly scary to wander through.  It felt like a creepy movie; every door, every aisleway.  This is what we saw that day.

Abandoned Breeden's Bridge, Leavenworth, Indiana

Joining Harrison and Crawford counties, Breeden's bridge is located near the town of Leavenworth, Indiana, crossing over the Blue River as it winds towards the Ohio River.  Abandoned since the mid 1980s, its rusty skeleton provides an interesting backdrop to a popular swimming spot for locals.

The Lost John Pectol Road Bridge, New Albany, Indiana

 

The world around us is always changing, never to be nailed down.  A building is built one day, while another is leveled that same day.  Our memories and our photos try to document what we see, but even they fade.  This, is the story of a bridge that we missed.

Abandoned Sulphur-Bedford Road Bridge - Trimble County, Kentucky

The old Sulphur-Bedford Road bridge was built in 1901 next to a mill dam and was used until its closure in 1999.  A new concrete bridge has been built since the closure, but the iron truss bridge still sits there on the Little Kentucky River next to the old dam.  The bridge's narrow wooden deck, which was later covered in asphalt, is now deteriorating without maintenance.  Even though 14 years is a relatively short period of abandonment in comparison to some other locations we've visited, the use of this bridge well beyond its intended lifespan gives it the appearance that its abandonment has been much longer.

The Crooked Creek Rail Bridge - Madison, Indiana

Another bridge directly on Madison's Heritage Trail is the Crooked Creek Rail Bridge.  The rails are not seen in these pictures here, because they are located at the top of the ridge that the bridge supports.  While it certainly is not as in as bad of shape as its neighbor down stream, it's still worth taking a look.  According to the discussion on Bridge Hunter there is some documentation that shows this bridge opened in 1841, making it one of the earliest bridges built in the entire state!

The collapsed Crooked Creek Bridge - Madison, Indiana

The abandoned bridge that crosses Crooked Creek in Madison used to be a part of State Route 56 until the present Clifty Hollow Road replaced the route.  The bridge is accessible by following an unmarked path at the bottom of the Madison Heritage Trail.  Parking is available at the bottom of the trail at the end of McIntire Street, so don't be like me and park at the other end of the Heritage Trail unless you're down for a good walk all the way up hill back to the car.