The previous bridge carrying State Route 160 over Raccoon Creek north of Ewington in Gallia County was constructed in 1934. The 3-span, 191-foot-long continuous steel deck beam bridge was designed by the Ohio Department of Highways Bridge Bureau and built by W.C. Moore & E. Elford & Son. It was determined eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990 as an early continuous beam bridge. Ohio was one of the first states to use the advanced design, which eliminated gaps between beams at the piers. The continuous steel beam design was not standardized by the Bridge Bureau until 1939, so the 1934 bridge was considered a prototype for steel beam bridges built today. In 2018, the historic beams were salvaged for preservation and installed on the Moonville Rail Trail in Vinton County through a collaborative effort involving the Moonville Rail Trail Commission, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office. Visitors on the rail trail can now view the continuous deck design elements, especially the rolled steel beams and their riveted splice connections.