One of the interesting features of the Lehigh Portland Trails will be the use of a historic bridge on the main trail.
The Hegwald Bridge (named for a local landowner near the bridge’s original site) was built in 1909 by the Canton Bridge Co. and spanned Owl Creek west of Humboldt. It uses a “pony truss” design that spans approximately 60 feet. The bridge was replaced by Allen County in 2014 and donated to the Lehigh Portland Trails project by the county.
It was moved to the Lehigh site in May 2014, and will be deployed to cross a major ravine along the backbone trail.
Here are some photos:
Here is the bridge as it stood for over 100 years.
The Hegwald Bridge placard shows the bridge builder and date of construction.
The bridge was moved by Unruh House Moving (photo courtesy of Unruh).
Here is the bridge after delivery to the Lehigh Portland Trails site.
Once a final resting place has been determined, and proper footings and abutments have been constructed, the old bridge will be moved into its new home, to serve the community for many more years to come.
You can learn more about the bridge and its history from BridgeHunter.com. Read an Iola Register story about the bridge move here: Old bridge gets new life.