Ask nearly any high school student in the Noble County area, and they will tell you that they have been to the S-Bridge at least once during their high school career. It is a popular destination for high school students with nothing better to do. Sitting on the edge of the bridge as a train goes by is one of the scariest yet most exhilarating things that a high schooler can experience.

However, it has recently been rumored that the bridge may be torn down, making 175 E. a dead end road. Given that the bridge is very old, built in 1906, and is made of wood, a material known for deterioration after an extended period of time, it is still a major part of Northeastern Indiana history. The building of this bridge was an industrial feat for Northeastern Indiana, as it is the largest and most impressive of the wooden bridges that still remain.

So the question remains: Should the S-Bridge be torn down? My simple response: No. While I do understand that at this point it may be unsafe for motor vehicles to drive across the bridge, it has become too much of an icon to simply be torn down. There are other approaches to the situation besides just tearing it down (which I believe would be a rather unsafe endeavor, given that people may forget that the road will be a dead end…). What I view as the best option is to simply make it so motor vehicles cannot cross the bridge by putting up gates or the like, thus preventing any incidents that could occur given the condition of the bridge while still allowing for it to be available to those that wish to visit it.

I could not find or obtain sources to confirm or deny the rumors that the bridge will be torn down, but I believe that for the sake of it remaining a fun, “nothing else to do” location, it should remain standing—or suspended, for that matter.