Leeper Park Bridge cracks no cause for concern, INDOT says

SOUTH BEND – About two years ago, Barry Schleiger began to notice something peculiar during his daily commute from the south side of South Bend, where he works, to his home on the city’s north side – markings on the east railing of the Leeper Park Bridge that appeared to track the growth of cracks in the limestone. In the beginning, the cracks were relatively small, he noticed, but, over time, they expanded, growing longer and wider. "I just thought it was something that somebody should know about," he said of the situation. "I was just curious ... because if something happened (to the bridge) it would really screw up everyone’s commute." It turns out Schleiger is not the only person who has noticed the cracks. The Indiana Department of Transportation, which is responsible for the bridge, also has taken note. In fact, surveyors working for the department are responsible for the markings observed by Schleiger. "In general, right now, we’re taking periodic survey shots of the structure, just marking some cracks that we see," district bridge engineer Wayne Skinner explained Monday. Skinner stressed that, despite the cracks, the bridge, including the railing, is perfectly safe. "I don’t want to say there is any immediate danger," he said. Built in the early 1900s, the bridge, a local historic landmark, was rehabilitated in 2006. INDOT contracted JCI Bridge Group to shore up the underwater foundation, install new crash barriers and sidewalks, and lay a new concrete deck to replace the old asphalt deck. It also had the company fill cracks in the railing with epoxy to keep out moisture and forestall expansion. Shortly after JCI finished the project, cracks in the railing began to reappear, INDOT spokesman Joshua Bingham said, caused by "the railing fluctuating from thermal expansion." Or, in layman’s terms, alternating warm and cold weather. In response, he said, INDOT began monitoring the structure. The good news, he said, is that it appears the cracks, which had been expanding, have finally stopped. The bad news – at least for Schleiger and other commuters – is that INDOT plans to repair the railing within the next five years, likely slowing the flow of traffic for a time. The department would normally replace the railing, Bingham said, but is prohibited from doing so because the bridge is a historic structure. In the meantime, he said, it plans to continue to monitor the situation. Schleiger will as well, no doubt. Staff writer Erin Blasko: eblasko@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6187