Carmi, Illinois – White County Bridge Commission (WCBC) was created by an Act of Congress on April 12, 1941 to acquire and operate a bridge and approaches thereto across the Wabash River just west of the city of New Harmony, Indiana, and all or any ferries across the river within a mile of the bridge. The bridge is commonly referred to as the New Harmony Bridge but was originally known as the Harmony Way Bridge.
The White County Bridge Commission has been regarded by the federal government, the State of Indiana and the State of Illinois as a “private” entity, even though the Commission was exempt from paying all federal and state taxes, but did pay real estate taxes to Posey County, Indiana and White County, Illinois.
Because of the “private” entity determination, the WCBC was never eligible to apply for any state or federal grant opportunities to rehabilitation of the bridge. The Harmony Way Bridge was operated and maintained throughout the years mainly funded by the tolls paid by those who used the bridge. The bridge was closed in 2012 because of the lack of funds to make structural repairs that where needed following an engineering study of the bridge.
Since 2005, the late Dr. David Rice and Spud Egbert have never given up working to transfer the Harmony Way Bridge to a governmental entity or entities to fully rehabilitate the bridge as an economic engine for the southern Indiana and Illinois region. Egbert stated “It saddened me that Dr. Rice did not live to experience this new chapter in the restoring the Harmony Way Bridge.”
One of the last official acts of the White County Bridge Commission by the last member of the Commission, Spud Egbert, Carmi, Illinois, was to transfer ownership of the Harmony Way
Bridge to the Illinois New Harmony River Bridge Authority and the Indiana New Harmony and Wabash River Authority. Effective February 19, 2020, that transaction was completed and both authorities received joint ownership of the Harmony Way Bridge connecting Indiana State Road 66 and Illinois Highway 14.
In a bi-partisan attempt at the federal level, the State of Indiana and State of Illinois, the two authorities were established to attempt to bring the bridge back to its intended use as a vehicular bridge with a potential bike-hike patch component. Both the Indiana and Illinois Authorities are eligible to apply for federal and state grants for the rehabilitation of the bridge.
Specifically, according to the Illinois Act of 45 ILCS 185/New Harmony Bridge Authority Act, “the White County Bridge Commission, a private entity created by Congress in 1941, lacks the resources necessary to rehabilitate and maintain the bridge. The New Harmony Bridge provides an important link between this State [Illinois] and Indiana. The rehabilitation and continued use of the New Harmony Bridge is essential to preserve and improve the public welfare and prosperity of the people of this State [Illinois]. It is in the best interests of the public welfare and public safety that this State [Illinois] and the State of Indiana work together to repair and maintain this historical bridge. The intent of this Act is to ensure that the New Harmony Bridge is rehabilitated and maintained so that it can meet the needs of motorists for years to come.”
The first significant step in the process to re-open the Bridge is an in-depth study to determine the current structural integrity, safety, and rehabilitation feasibility of this historic landmark. In November of 2019, with assistance from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the study was published on IDOT’s Professional Transportation Bulletin #194-64. Six pre-qualified structural engineering firms from the Illinois and Indiana area submitted proposals. A selection committee comprised of members from the Illinois and Indiana Authorities reviewed the proposed Statements of Interest, and through an intensive vetting and voting process, negotiations with the first choice are underway.
