The Historic National Road in Ohio

The history of this bridge is tied to Zane's Trace, the original road through
the region. In 1803, the trace crossed Peters Creek, a few hundred yards
to the north, using logs to bridge the stream. In 1828, when the National
Road was built through this part of Ohio, replacing Zane's Trace, this stone
"S' bride was built in order to accommodate the increased traffic the road
would bring. With the rise of the automobile in the early 20th century,
improved roads and bridges were needed. As a national highway system
was developed in the 1920s and 1930s, much of the National Road was
incorporated into the new U.S. Route 40, and the bridge was abandoned
when the road was realigned to the south of its location.

Rehabilitating a Landmark
Years of neglect and damage from four successive floods in 2005
resulted in a bridge that was ready to collapse. The "S" bridge had
deteriorated to such a degree that simple repair work would not be
adequate to save the bridge. Instead, a complete rehabilitation of the
bridge was undertaken. This meant removing much of the original
structure, then rehabilitating the bridge. Work on the structure
began in the spring of 2007 and was completed in November. Using
modern tools and materials, the bridge was not only rehabilitated,
but it was also strengthened