Bridges of Madison County - Imes

The Imes Covered Bridge.  11/2/2019 dwm photo

The oldest surviving covered bridge in Madison County has moved a lot.  The Imes bridge stands along the county highway just outside St. Charles - an unofficial greeting for drivers on the Covered Bridge Scenic Byway.

It was built in 1870 over Middle River.  The Madison County Chamber of Commerce website says it was moved in 1887 so it would cross Clinton Creek.

90 years later it was moved to St. Charles.  The only water under it now is run-off from rain or snow.

Many of the Iowa bridges feature a
covered lattice through truss. 11/2/19 

We pulled into St. Charles not long after sunrise when it was still the golden hour for taking pictures.

A park around the bridge creates a natural place for it to rest as its heaviest loads now are families and bridge enthusiasts.

While it is too bad it no longer stands near its original location, the alternative likely would have been demolition.

After two moves, it was rehabilitated in 1997 (two years after the movie about Madison County bridges) at a cost of $31,000.  If you consider the tourist spending the bridges bring in every year - that's a solid investment.

The sun rises over the Imes Bridge. 11/2/19 (dwm)

Imes was the first stop on our quest to see the six out of 19 remaining bridges which were built to cross the rivers and streams crossing Madison County.

From St. Charles, we drove north on the Covered Bridges Scenic Byway, looking for the Holliwell Bridge.

Imes Covered Bridge
Built:  1870
Style:  Covered lattice through truss
Length: 81 feet

You are welcome to see more bridges, by following this link.