Hoosier Railroad Ghosts
High School Road Interurban Bridge
Location: At High School Road, 250' north of Kentucky Avenue. To get there, take I-465 to Kentucky Ave (SR 67), go south to the first stoplight. The bridge abutment is visible to the north. You can park at the BP/McDonald's.
History: Part of the Indianapolis and Martinsville Rapid Transit, built in 1901/03, from Indianapolis to Martinsville via Mooresville. The line was leased to Terre Haute, Indianapolis, and Eastern in 1907. The line was abandoned October 31, 1930. The adjacent railroad was the Pennsylvania Road's Indianapolis & Vincennes line, now Indiana Southern.
What's left: Most of the I&MRT line in Marion County has been destroyed by the multi-lane Kentucky Ave. However, at the intersection with High School Road, Kentucky Ave bows south, out away from the railroad and interurban, so this section of the interurban has not been disturbed by the highway. Still existing are the southwestern abutment/culvert over High School Road and a branch of the Little Dollar Hide Creek, a length of grade and right-of-way, and a deteriorated culvert farther southwest.
Maps: 1937/38 aerial photo, 2003 aerial photo, 2003 closeup (from Indianapolis GIS).
Photos: Taken 4/8/05
Looking north along High School Road at the bridges The interurban abutment Another view The interurban right-of-way looking northest to the bridge The abutment from the railroad grade
Looking southeast across the top of the abutment The culvert arch is visible at the bottom of the concrete Another view The bridge location on the abutment is still visible High School Road is only a few feet from the corner
Top corner of the abutment's culvert The road bridge Look closely and you can see some old ironwork railings The culvert in the abutment The road and interurban culverts. The creek mostly flows to the left
Looking northeast at where the corresponding abutment should be Again looking northeast Looking northeast on the interurban grade Same thing The interurban embankment
The railroad bridge from the interurban grade The railroad's culvert is much older--made of cut stone Interior of the railroad's culvert. Note the bend. The north side. No, I didn't go through the culvert! The north side of the railroad bridge
The parallel rights-of-way. The interurban was in the trees The interurban right-of-way is still visible by the separate fences Overview of the parallel fences, looking south-southwest Railroad bridge to the southwest of High School Road Remains of interuban culvert over the same creek (name unknown)
The interurban culvert Same thing Same thing I'm not sure if it had a concrete bottom, it's hard to tell Same thing

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