Iron Bridge

July 23, 2007; Bayfield, WI: Located in town off Washington Avenue is a trail through a ravine that leads under the Iron Bridge. It's a very short hike and you forget you're in town when you're on the trail. This is what the sign reads:

This gracefully designed bridge was constructed by the Wausau Iron
Works and completed in 1912.

The bridge, whose designer remains unknown, is similar to several
bridges remaining in New England, but is thought to be unique in
Wisconsin. Its 230 foot long deck is 18 feet wide and stands 50 feet
above the floor of the ravine it crosses.

Time and natural processes of deterioration had weakened the
structure and closed it to vehicle traffic in 1967 and ultimately to
pedestrians in 1983. However, a project was begun a year later to
restore the bridge to pedestrian use.

* Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a pivotal
structure in the Bayfield Historic District.