Photo Study of the "Old" Lincoln Highway Bridge

In my last blog post two barn photographs were featured along a segment of the original Lincoln Highway route through Linn County, Iowa. A portion of that original route remains unpaved and runs from the present Lincoln Highway northward to Marion, Iowa, just a few miles away.

Today this original section is known as Bloomington Road, and is typical of Iowa gravel roads - and probably a step-up from the original gravel roads that constituted the Lincoln Highway. Coincidentally the county's first Seedling Mile (concrete poured section of the highway used to demonstrate the viability of hard surface roads) was located just a few miles from this bridge location. 

Bloomington Road crosses a creek via an old, rusting iron bridge. I haven't found much information about this bridge (yet) but it makes an interesting photography subject - especially during low sun angles. Seen in the middle image is the red barn featured in the last post. Both bridge and road remain in good shape considering their three phases of automotive use; the initial county gravel road, then part of a nationwide route known as the Lincoln Highway, and finally the present status of a simple road again long after the highway was straightened in Linn County.