Concrete Interurban Bridge over Spy Run Creek in Fort Wayne, IN

(Satellite, a little concrete is peeking out from under the tree growth)

While researching the Traction Terminal in Fort Wayne, I learned about this early concrete bridge. It is another monument to the strength of properly constructed reinforced concrete. It carried the route of the Indiana Railroad System, which was an electric interurban, that went north from Fort Wayne to Garrett. At Garrett, it split and went to Avilla-Kendallville and Auburn-Waterloo. [2005 SPV Map]

Daniel Baker via TheTolleyDodger
"Daniel Baker is a photographer based in Northeast Indiana specializing in documentary, urban and landscape photography."

The interurban line started service in May, 1906 as the Toledo and Chicago Interurban Railway. So the bridge was built before then.Passenger service stopped in 1937. Freight service that hauled coal continued over this bridge until 1945. This was the last interurban activity in Fort Wayne because all interurban passenger service in or out of Fort Wayne was abandoned in 1941. [CassHistory, pp35-37]  Since it was built by 1906, it was an early application of concrete construction. Also, it is interesting that an interurban line would build such a substantial structure.


This steel girder bridge is a little northeast of the interurban bridge. It was a New York Central route connecting Fort Wayne to its mainline at Waterloo, IN. This route is now a trail.

3D Satellite

Various Global Earth images allowed me to determine where I should look on a contemporary satellite image for the bridge. This one has the least amount of tree cover. The bridge in the upper-right corner is the Trail/PC/NYC bridge.

Global Earth, Mar 2005