Hutsonville Bridge

Self Anchor detail, bridge deck view

The Hutsonville Bridge or Sullivan-Hutsonville Bridge connecting Crawford County, Illinois and Sullivan County, Indiana over the Wabash River, built 1939 and replaced in 1988, is an example of the relatively rare self-anchored suspension bridge type. It was designed by Robinson & Steinman, with R. V. Milbank as the resident chief engineer, and constructed by Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company as general contractor and Vincennes Steel Corp/Wisconsin Steel Corporation as steel fabricators and Charles J. Glasgow as a subcontractor.

Note the use of multiple independent cables, rather than a large single interleaved and sheathed cable, as is typical for larger suspension bridges, or eyebars, often used in smaller bridges such as the Pittsburgh Seventh Street Bridge also self-anchored.

Although the bridge was determined "eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places" in 1987 due to the rarity of its type ^[1], the bridge was replaced in 1988 and demolished.

Self Anchor detail, outside view

According to the Bridgemeister.com site referenced below, the demolition was controversial. The site in turn cites the September 26, 1988 issue of the Springfield, IL "The State Journal-Register" that the company to which the $100,000 demolition contract was let offered to turn the money over to save the bridge. The locals agreed, but the company's Chief Engineer Stephen Schneider was quoted, "I think Indiana really wants to tear it down. They've been ... forced to send inspectors out every two weeks. I think they just want the headache gone." Gary Abell, spokesman for the Indiana Dept. Of Highways said its design is "not one of the best. It works in theory, but not in practice. This is like trying to save a mistake." In 2002, an un-named INDOT representative was cited as saying, "I am not sure why you are interested in that bridge, but from our standpoint, it was a very poorly designed bridge that had many many problems from the day that it was completed, until it was brought down.".

That clearly shows the controversy around Steinman's attempt at a self-anchored suspension bridge. It is believed to be unusual for a Steinman bridge to be held in such poor regard, as he is considered by many to be one of the greatest bridge engineers of all time.