|
Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| Ketterman Road Bridge | Truss | Ketterman Road | Preble County, OH | Rural | Aukerman Creek |
|
Technical Facts |
|
Construction Date |
Structure Length | Roadway Width |
| Unknown (Pre-1900) | 52.17 Feet | 15.74 Feet |
Speaking in terms of panels, this four panel Pratt truss is the smallest "full-slope" Pratt that you can have. Only a half-hip Pratt could be smaller, like off of Bach Road back in Michigan.
This attractive bridge features original lattice railings and sits on concrete abutments. Despite a complete lack of v-lacing on its members and chords, this bridge is one of the most picturesque small bridges I have seen. Nestled back in the woods on a quiet rural road, I was able to get the very nice photo shown above with the green trees and a stony Aukerman Creek running under it. Although some people may tire of every truss bridge in the county having it, I like the bright sky blue paint that the county puts on its bridges. It really showed it potential here, where the soft, but noticeable paint color helps the bridge stand out and be noticed, but yet not look too gaudy. A lot of times, restored bridges get painted darker, bland colors like brown or black. Black is not very natural looking and would not go well with the plants and creek around it. And brown would nearly render the bridge invisible. I would like to see this bridge restored, and the blue paint kept on the bridge. Unfortunately, neither appear to be happening, since Preble County wants to demolish this bridge. Despite the small size of this bridge which would result in inexpensive restoration costs, and the non-existent traffic that a modern two-lane bridge would be serving here, it appears that this historic artifact will be lost forever. The new bridge, when it is eventually built, will produce a scar on the scenic wooded landscape in the area.
