The Illinois New Harmony River Bridge Authority in Carmi with assistance from the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission in Albion announced on Wednesday that a federal Delta Regional Authority strategic planning grant of $150,000 has been awarded to the Illinois Authority to continue in a bi-partisan effort with the Indiana Bridge Authority to continue the engineering design for the restoration of the historic Harmony Way Bridge connecting White County Illinois to Posey County, Indiana. The one-half mile steel truss structure was built in the 1930s of the finest American-made Carnegie steel and is registered as an historic structure by the Federal, Illinois, and Indiana Historic Registries. The bridge closed in 2012 amid efforts to repair and maintain it into the future. The bridge connected Illinois and the Lincoln Heritage Trail to Indiana and the Evansville metropolitan area with jobs, medical, educational, and tourism opportunities in both states.
In 2017 and 2018, in a bi-partisan effort the Illinois and Indiana legislatures and the United States Congress proposed and passed legislation to create two joint, five-member Bridge Authorities (the Illinois New Harmony River Bridge Authority and the Indiana New Harmony and Wabash River Bridge Authority) to explore restoration engineering studies to determine the viability of the bridge reconstruction. This DRA grant will be used to continue the engineering studies needed to restore and reopen the Harmony Way Bridge.
Since their appointments, the Illinois and Indiana Bridge Authorities have taken legal ownership of the bridge and worked with the Illinois Department of Transportation to procure engineering design services to make innovative repairs to the bridge. The engineers inspected the bridge in 2020 followed by an underwater inspection of the bridge in 2021. Remote monitoring of the bridge structure in 2022 was also conducted to test the effects of a composite deck design on the existing structure. The engineers concluded the bridge was in fair condition and could be restored safely. They also said, with a new deck and if properly maintained, the bridge life could be extended for another 40 to 50 years. Beginning in 2020, the two Authorities have worked closely together and have applied for numerous state and federal grants to secure funding for the very viable reconstruction project.