Repairs to Indiana Covered Bridge Could Cost $300K

A county official says it could cost as much as $300,000 to repair a nearly 140-year-old wooden covered bridge in northeastern Indiana after its roof trusses were broken by a too-tall semitrailer.

DeKalb County highway superintendent Eric Patton says he expects to soon have a report from engineers who inspected the Spencerville Covered Bridge following Wednesday’s damage. The one-lane bridge about 20 miles north of Fort Wayne has been closed to traffic.

Patton tells The Journal Gazette that he expects the trucker’s insurance company will pay for the repairs and that the bridge will be returned to its original condition.

The trucker told police he was following his GPS directions when he drove through the bridge. The driver faces a felony charge of criminal mischief.