New Harmony Toll Bridge
Encyclopedia
The New Harmony Toll Bridge, also known as the Harmony Way Bridge, is a two-lane bridge across the Wabash River
that connects Illinois Route 14
with Indiana State Road 66
, which is Church Street in New Harmony, Indiana
. The bridge links White County, Illinois
with Posey County, Indiana
. The four-span bridge is owned by the White County Bridge Commission and was built without federal funds in 1930 by the Big Wabash Bridge Company of Carmi, Illinois. The next bridge across the Wabash about 15 miles (24 km) downstream is the Wabash Memorial Bridge
near Mount Vernon, Indiana
and the next bridge upstream is for Interstate 64
, which does not allow farm vehicles.
About 900 vehicles cross the bridge each day. The bridge collects an average of $30,000 in monthly tolls and has $22,000 in monthly expenses. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 in part because of its relationship to historic New Harmony, Indiana
as well as the bridge's age. The three-member Commission was established by Congress on April 12, 1941, but Congress repealed the statute providing for an appointment mechanism in 1998. The Commission's general manager, who is 75, speculated that the bridge would close if the three current commissioners would resign or die. The 1941 law contemplated, but did not require, that once the original bonds financing the construction of the bridge were retired, the bridge would be transferred to Illinois and Indiana and the Commission would be dissolved.
In 1951, the current toll booth on the western edge of the river was constructed by the Electronic Signal Company, to replace an earlier booth on the eastern edge. In 1952, a tollpayer sued to exercise his right to inspect the books and records of the Commission, but lost his lawsuit and was not allowed access. In 1955, the General Accounting Office issued a report critical of the Commission and claiming that one commissioner had a conflict of interest. In response, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a suit seeking removal of the Commissioner and recovery of the misapplied funds. However, the courts dismissed the case.
In 1994, the Commission contracted to apply an epoxy coating on the bridge's surface, but the coating delaminated and the Commission refused to pay the contractor claiming that the coating had not been applied correctly. After a trial, the Commission lost the lawsuit and paid.
From September 2007 to April 2008, cracks in some of the concrete support piers caused the bridge to closed to all traffic. During the closure, contractors drove new pilings to help support existing piers and made other repairs mandated by engineers. In 2010, engineers determined that the bridge requires an additional $6 million in repairs. The National Bridge Inventory has rated the bridge "Structurally Deficient."
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
that connects Illinois Route 14
Illinois Route 14
Illinois Route 14 is a major east–west highway in southern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 51 south of Du Quoin to the New Harmony Toll Bridge over the Wabash River to State Road 66 at the Indiana state line...
with Indiana State Road 66
Indiana State Road 66
State Road 66 is an east–west highway in six counties in the southernmost portion of the U.S. state of Indiana.-Route description:State Road 66 begins at the eastern end of a toll bridge over the Wabash River in New Harmony and ends at U.S. Route 150 east of Hardinsburg...
, which is Church Street in New Harmony, Indiana
New Harmony, Indiana
New Harmony is a historic town on the Wabash River in Harmony Township, Posey County, Indiana, United States. It lies north of Mount Vernon, the county seat. The population was 916 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Evansville metropolitan area. Many of the old Harmonist buildings still stand...
. The bridge links White County, Illinois
White County, Illinois
White County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 14,665, which is a decrease of 4.6% from 15,371 in 2000...
with Posey County, Indiana
Posey County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,061 people, 10,205 households, and 7,612 families residing in the county. The population density was 66 people per square mile . There were 11,076 housing units at an average density of 27 per square mile...
. The four-span bridge is owned by the White County Bridge Commission and was built without federal funds in 1930 by the Big Wabash Bridge Company of Carmi, Illinois. The next bridge across the Wabash about 15 miles (24 km) downstream is the Wabash Memorial Bridge
Wabash Memorial Bridge
The Wabash Memorial Bridge carries vehicular traffic across the Wabash River between Indiana State Road 62 and Illinois Route 141. The 4,932 foot long, two-lane bridge is located in both Posey County, Indiana and White County, Illinois. The bridge is operated by the Indiana Department of...
near Mount Vernon, Indiana
Mount Vernon, Indiana
Mount Vernon is a city in southern Indiana along the Ohio River and the county seat of Posey County. It is located in Black Township. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 6,687...
and the next bridge upstream is for Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
, which does not allow farm vehicles.
Details
As originally designed, the bridge is 2,579 feet (.49 of a mile) long. It has 47 spans (from west to east): 31 simple I-beam approach spans, two deck-truss spans, four through-truss spans (of 232 ft, 233 ft, 233 ft and 300 ft), and 10 simple beam approach spans, all with a 20-foot wide concrete roadway. The bridge is the first highway bridge erected across the lower Wabash River and the oldest remaining bridge in use over the Wabash’s length in Illinois and half of Indiana. The original owner was a private company, the Big Wabash Bridge Company of Carmi, Illinois, which was chartered by Congress to build and operate the bridge on May 1, 1928. The company contracted with the he Nashville Bridge Company of Nashville, Tennessee to build it. The bridge opened on December 21, 1930, and 10,000 people attended the dedication of the bridge on December 30, 1930. In 1941, Congress created the White County Bridge Commission as a joint Illinois-Indiana agency to purchase the bridge from the Big Wabash Bridge Company for $895,000. The Commission remains as the only joint state toll bridge commission chartered by Congress.About 900 vehicles cross the bridge each day. The bridge collects an average of $30,000 in monthly tolls and has $22,000 in monthly expenses. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 in part because of its relationship to historic New Harmony, Indiana
New Harmony, Indiana
New Harmony is a historic town on the Wabash River in Harmony Township, Posey County, Indiana, United States. It lies north of Mount Vernon, the county seat. The population was 916 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Evansville metropolitan area. Many of the old Harmonist buildings still stand...
as well as the bridge's age. The three-member Commission was established by Congress on April 12, 1941, but Congress repealed the statute providing for an appointment mechanism in 1998. The Commission's general manager, who is 75, speculated that the bridge would close if the three current commissioners would resign or die. The 1941 law contemplated, but did not require, that once the original bonds financing the construction of the bridge were retired, the bridge would be transferred to Illinois and Indiana and the Commission would be dissolved.
In 1951, the current toll booth on the western edge of the river was constructed by the Electronic Signal Company, to replace an earlier booth on the eastern edge. In 1952, a tollpayer sued to exercise his right to inspect the books and records of the Commission, but lost his lawsuit and was not allowed access. In 1955, the General Accounting Office issued a report critical of the Commission and claiming that one commissioner had a conflict of interest. In response, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a suit seeking removal of the Commissioner and recovery of the misapplied funds. However, the courts dismissed the case.
In 1994, the Commission contracted to apply an epoxy coating on the bridge's surface, but the coating delaminated and the Commission refused to pay the contractor claiming that the coating had not been applied correctly. After a trial, the Commission lost the lawsuit and paid.
From September 2007 to April 2008, cracks in some of the concrete support piers caused the bridge to closed to all traffic. During the closure, contractors drove new pilings to help support existing piers and made other repairs mandated by engineers. In 2010, engineers determined that the bridge requires an additional $6 million in repairs. The National Bridge Inventory has rated the bridge "Structurally Deficient."