Logan Mill Road Bridge - Logan County, Kentucky

Depending on where you live, finding old truss bridges can be commonplace or a lengthy drive. Other times, you come across one through serendipitous means. That happened to me over the Summer of 2023 while exploring South Central Kentucky. A small, nearly 100-year-old truss bridge, on a quiet rural backroad in Logan County.

The Logan Mill Road Bridge is nothing out of the ordinary. It crosses the Red River and has been in place since 1925. Part of its story is how it remains standing as of 2023. In 2012, District Three of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet studied whether or not the structurally deficient bridge should be replaced.

The study looked at three alternatives: 1) Do Nothing 2) Replace the bridge via a new alignment of Logan Mill Road 3) Restore and preserve the bridge. The study mentioned that the Kentucky Transportation Center was developing a list of over 100 truss bridges that the state should try to save.

Damage - most likely from Red River flood waters - to the original railing of the Logan Mill Road Bridge.

In 2018, the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Transportation Center completed a report titled, Truss Bridge Rehabilitation Prioritization. The lengthy report listed, scored, and ranked 94 of the nearly 150 remaining truss bridges in the state. The scoring and rankings were based on the historical, design, and unique features of each bridge.

The Logan Mill Road Bridge is the last remaining truss bridge in Logan County. The bridge is one of 19 remaining Pratt Through Trusses within the state. It ranked in the Top 30 of the bridges listed in the report.

All photos taken by post author - July 2023

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