The Williams Bridge is a wooden covered bridge

Covered bridge

A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...

 built in 1884 and is located in southern Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

.

Location

The Williams Bridge is located in Spice Valley Township

Spice Valley Township, Lawrence County, Indiana

Spice Valley Township is one of nine townships in Lawrence County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,419.-Geography:...

 in Lawrence County

Lawrence County, Indiana

As of the census of 2000, there were 45,922 people, 18,535 households, and 13,141 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 20,560 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

 and crosses the East Fork of the White River

White River (Indiana)

The White River is a two-forked river that flows through central and southern Indiana and is the main tributary to the Wabash River. Via the west fork, considered to be the main stem of the river by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, the White River is long.-West Fork:The West Fork, long, is...

 on Huron and Williams Road, south of State Road 450

Indiana State Road 450

State Road 450 is a winding route in southern Indiana that terminates at both ends at its parent route, U.S. Route 50. It covers a distance of about .-Route description:...

. It is near the unincorporated town of Williams

Williams, Lawrence County, Indiana

Williams is an unincorporated town in Spice Valley Township, Lawrence County, Indiana....

, about two miles downriver from the Williams Dam and eight miles southwest of Bedford

Bedford, Indiana

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,768 people, 6,054 households, and 3,644 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,157.1 people per square mile . There were 6,618 housing units at an average density of 556.2 per square mile...

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Construction

The bridge is a Howe Truss design and was built in 1884 by Joseph 'J.J.' Daniels. Its two spans cover a total length of 373 feet (113.7 m), with a deck width of 14.7 feet (4.5 m) and a vertical clearance above deck of 19.2 feet (5.9 m).

History

In 1981, the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

. It was the longest covered bridge in Indiana that was still open to vehicular traffic. The bridge was closed to traffic around September 20, 2010. The Medora Bridge

Medora Covered Bridge

The Medora Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge built in 1875 and is located in Southern Indiana. It is the longest historic covered bridge in the United States.-Location:...

 at 434 feet (132.3 m), in Jackson County

Jackson County, Indiana

Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 42,376. The county seat is Brownstown.-History:...

, remains the longest covered bridge in the state, but it was closed to all but pedestrian traffic in 1972.