Darden Road Bridge

Most Recent Visit To Bridge: October 2006

This is the only known truss bridge remaining in St. Joseph County, Indiana which has fortunately been preserved by South Bend, who apparently recognized that if this bridge had been lost, the county would have become devoid of the rich heritage and beauty provided by a historic metal truss bridge. It is an impressive and rare structure, with a long two span length. Each span is composed of eight panels. There is v-lacing on the verticals. The portal bracing is a lattice design. A simple steel stinger approach is present at the east end of the bridge. The deck stringers, and the stringers on the approach span, are not original. Piers and abutments are concrete. This bridge was restored in 1997. In 1999, the new bridge for vehicles was completed immediately north of this bridge. For reasons that are unclear, the original builder plaque for this bridge was never repaired and placed back on the portal, and was instead simple cast into a concrete stand near the bridge. The plaques present on top of the portals today are modern, and quite a bit different looking than the original plaque. The deck is positioned in the trusses at a high level, a design feature that does indeed appear to be original. Although it has no deck, railings and brackets from a sidewalk system remain on the south side of the bridge. The railings on this sidewalk are unusual lightweight railings, but appear to be original. Railings on the main deck of the bridge are not original, nor do they respect the original design of the structure. Other railings could have been selected for the restoration that would have provided a better combination of safety and visual quality. However, the railings are the only detrimental alteration that is readily visible, which is good news. Otherwise, the bridge remains as a beautiful structure, and represents a city that cares for its historic bridges and the city's general desirability. It is a significant attraction, and located near the main strip in South Bend, an Indiana Turnpike exit, and Notre Dame University, this is a bridge that is easily accessible to many people.

The bridge is historically significant as a long-two span truss bridge, and one of the few remaining truss bridges in the extreme northern region of Indiana. Finally, the bridge is significant as a rare surviving work of P. E. Lane who operated a bridge works in Chicago, and may have been involved with the construction of a couple unusual arch bridges in Indiana and Illinois. Indiana's example is the Dunns Bridge, while the Illinois example is the Sugar Creek Chapel Bridge.