While traveling to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan earlier in the fall, I came across the picturesque Cut River Bridge along U.S. Route 2 in Mackinac County. The Cantilever deck truss bridge was constructed from 1941 to 1946, and was one of two such spans in the state. The lengthy duration of construction for the 641 foot span was attributed to steel rationing during World War II.
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2 The Cut River Bridge was rehabilitated from 2008 to 2009.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcut-river-bridge%2F20111007-_dsc0323.jpg&hash=cef747cde37f8a455e3ddb0b0bf8b2efe43cdb08)
3 The detailing on the bridge is original and quite nice.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcut-river-bridge%2F20111007-_dsc0326.jpg&hash=6768006dcb14cd2436de8308b69ff749d4a8a80c)
4
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Further Reading
a. Cut River Bridge (blog): http://bridgestunnels.com/2011/12/19/cut-river-bridge/
b. Cut River Bridge (article): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/michigan/cut-river-bridge/
c. Related - A Taste of the Upper Peninsula: http://www.americanbyways.com/2011/12/20/a-taste-of-the-upper-peninsula/
That's beautiful. It's crazy that it took five years to build that bridge
The 8th Street Viaduct (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/8th-street-viaduct/) in Cincinnati, Ohio connects Lower Price Hill to Queensgate and downtown. The first iteration of the viaduct was constructed in 1893, featuring all iron construction and a 20 foot wide deck. It carried two lanes of traffic and the 8th Street line of the Cincinnati Street Railway, which followed the viaduct to Warsaw Avenue, bypassing the Price Hill incline.
The completion of the incline in 1874 led to a housing boom in Price Hill. Commanding spectacular views of Cincinnati and offering a more rural atmosphere, away from the chaos and bustle of the Mill Creek valley, the incline carried thousands of people up and down the hillside. But the construction of the viaduct, and the completion of the streetcar into Price Hill, allowed for a quicker and more efficient means of transport into the neighborhood. The incline lumbered on until 1943.
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In 1928, the 8th Street Viaduct was replaced with a new, concrete-reinforced span with a 40 foot deck that carried four lanes of traffic, in addition to the streetcar line. It cost $2 million to complete, and consisted of a 2,730 foot frame structure, 79 spans in total, with a 4 inch bridge deck with a concrete surface overlay. There were secondary access points at Evans Drive and Burns Drive.
In mid-2008, the viaduct was closed for six months while a $22 million rehabilitation project was undertaken on the then 79-year-old bridge. Out of 78, 22 deteriorated concrete piers were replaced during the closure. But there was more work to complete, as many expansion joints were removed, the bridge deck replaced, and a new driving surface installed, along with the installation of new recessed street lights and aluminum bridge railings. The Burns Street ramp was demolished and replaced with an entirely new span, and the remains of the Evans Drive ramps were removed.
In 2010, the 8th Street Viaduct rehabilitation project was completed.
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3
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6
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7
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2F8th-street-viaduct%2F20111102-_dsc2707.jpg&hash=1ae80b14c83bf7c072abb79c9274a032b5a59190)
8
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2F8th-street-viaduct%2F20111102-_dsc2711.jpg&hash=ec1d9a4f65d8a4f374a841a8db0e67e42c940e2b)
9
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2F8th-street-viaduct%2F20111102-_dsc2717.jpg&hash=602ad9d498f70db0fc730e81141e9e36d086d4e6)
Further Reading
a. Cincinnati's 8th Street Viaduct (blog): http://bridgestunnels.com/2011/12/23/cincinnatis-8th-street-viaduct/ (http://bridgestunnels.com/2011/12/23/cincinnatis-8th-street-viaduct/)
b. 8th Street Viaduct (article): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/8th-street-viaduct/ (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/8th-street-viaduct/)
Quote from: Sherman Cahal on December 21, 2011, 10:06:58 AM
While traveling to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan earlier in the fall, I came across the picturesque Cut River Bridge along U.S. Route 2 in Mackinac County.
I drove across that bridge quite frequently while in college and for much of my 20's.
A shame you didn't have the opportunity to continue west to Houghton & Hancock; among other things, you would've been able to photograph this bridge:
[ admin edit - please don't hot link images from that site. They don't like it. Please use a link to the page that hosts the image in the future if you want to post an image from that site. Thanks. -rmf67 ]
Portage Lake Lift Bridge
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage_Lake_Lift_Bridge
Well, I know I'll be making a return trip up there soon! :)
It's no secret that the Waldvogel Viaduct, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, is aging. Constructed in 1940, the viaduct connects the newer 6th Street Expressway and U.S. Route 50 to River Road, Warsaw Avenue and Elberon Avenue.
For motorists coming from the east, accustomed the wide lanes of Interstate 75 and the 6th Street Expressway, and the gentle curves and shoulders, are taken back the moment that the highway transitions to the Waldvogel. Not counting the lack of a shoulder, the lanes are only 10 feet wide with no buffer, and the sharp bends and creases provide only a limited sight distance. The cluttered appearance of the steel supports and the plate girders are a stark difference to the smooth and curved box girders of Fort Washington Way.
In 1993, the weight limit was reduced due to structural deterioration. Repairs were completed intermittently, and from 1996 to 2011, the city conducted $2.5 million in repairs to the bridge. Despite this and other work, the city rates the viaduct a 4 out of a 10, while the state gives the bridge only a 2 out of 100.
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The State Avenue outbound ramp has been closed for only a few years. The inbound ramp, with its non-existant acceleration lane and its blind spot with a left-lane merge, was closed decades ago for safety reasons.
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3
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwaldvogel-viaduct%2F20100326-_dsc1281.jpg&hash=e4a9b47846631802169ba868ce7e0a751eee1225)
4 A view of the River Road ramp.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwaldvogel-viaduct%2F20100326-_dsc1248.jpg&hash=65fc3b897f17804ff6603a5f8d331105acee6042)
5
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwaldvogel-viaduct%2F20100326-_dsc1308.jpg&hash=f299a504eb3a2394a2036b21412d4c372a15e790)
6
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwaldvogel-viaduct%2F20100326-_dsc1267.jpg&hash=02fd694343e9bb50dbe1105071a6c8eb9c48069f)
7 The X's mark a failing concrete sub-deck.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwaldvogel-viaduct%2F20100326-_dsc1257.jpg&hash=56398579c9667c674da5e9bf438737e0d45c67ec)
8
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwaldvogel-viaduct%2F20100326-_dsc1256.jpg&hash=036ab81cb2ea7d9a96f225ecc4ada8ffd13605e5)
9
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwaldvogel-viaduct%2F20100326-_dsc1255.jpg&hash=29aa49d50492e2f90ebcc1f705dff20f96f6c66d)
10
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12 Fracture critical — in addition to being only a foot away from the roadway.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwaldvogel-viaduct%2F20100326-_dsc1231.jpg&hash=63baf553e7fa9f37a4a9626c03694f18a8636186)
13
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwaldvogel-viaduct%2F20100326-_dsc1263.jpg&hash=b43df5bb938c3ff1912f26a1cfacc3ce1c648ae2)
14
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwaldvogel-viaduct%2F20100326-_dsc1287.jpg&hash=0f24963065523fe91edcc03749a883035b901a0e)
15
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In the spring of 2010, the first phase of a $68 million viaduct replacement project, with the relocation of four railroad tracks. That phase, which cost $6 million, was completed in the summer of 2011.
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The second and final phase, which involves the removal of the existing Waldvogel Viaduct, construction of five bridges, and the completion of an at-grade River Road, is expected to be complete by October 31, 2014.
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19
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20
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22
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23
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Further Reading
a. An aging Waldvogel Viaduct: http://bridgestunnels.com/2011/12/24/an-aging-waldvogel-viaduct/ (http://bridgestunnels.com/2011/12/24/an-aging-waldvogel-viaduct/)
b. Waldvogel Viaduct: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/waldvogel-viaduct/ (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/waldvogel-viaduct/)
I like the white signs in photos 18 and 20. if I recall correctly, they are internally lit.
They are - Cincinnati has a lot of lit signs, although no new ones are being installed.
I have a few more views (including closeups of the white signs) on my own page (http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/oh/waldvogel).
Might be worthy of being the central focus of a meet sometime. Would be an easy day trip for me. :clap:
Great photos! In many ways the Cincinnati viaduct looks very similar to the old West Side Highway in New York.
WSH was a lot more like the old Boston Central Artery.
Not much of a secret that I travel to West Virginia a lot. From my travels, I have encountered a lot of interesting bridges that are endangered or historic. For instance, I discovered a Pratt truss on Gandy Creek (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/gandy-creek-bridge/) on a drive with a friend to Spruce Knob (http://www.americanbyways.com/recreation/spruce-knob-seneca-rocks-national-recreation-area/) recently along Randolph County Route 29, which is not all that remarkable by itself except that it was constructed in 1900 by the Canton Bridge Company and is unmodified for the most part. It features a bridge deck that is in poor condition and a timber substructure!
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fgandy-creek-bridge%2F20120108-_dsc6634.jpg&hash=c0837976576678e6e0b416c4ea99b929a32e9a6b)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fgandy-creek-bridge%2F20120108-_dsc6636.jpg&hash=1b4af0f501ea53ef2278f2b52e3b8eba56cbae9c)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fgandy-creek-bridge%2F20120108-_dsc6631.jpg&hash=f56bb24734fac3cd10d3a9bf379ac6735020f37a)
On an earlier trip to Bramwell, I came across the Kate Hewltt Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/kate-hewltt-bridge-cr-2020/) that carries Mercer County Route 20/20 over the Bluestone River. Constructed in 1915, the two-span pony truss was recently rehabilitated.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fkate-hewltt-bridge%2F20110919-_dsc9676.jpg&hash=52d1574148075b69aa456dd71750f35092726546)
The Norfolk Western Railroad Bluestone Branch crossing over the Bluestone River (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/norfolk-western-railroad-bluestone-branch-bluestone-river-bridge/) is a simple two span pony plate girder bridge in Bramwell, West Virginia. The Bluestone Branch was a 17-mile line that extended from Bluestone to Giatto, although the last regular service operated over the rails in 1984 when the last coal train left McComas via the Crane Creek Branch. The last train operated west of Coopers in 1996 when Norfolk Southern, the successor to the NW, delivered several cars to Bramwell for display at a rebuilt depot.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorfolk-western-railroad-bluestone-branch-bluestone-river-bridge%2F20110919-_dsc9663.jpg&hash=39b94bc717c1202fb2f80d55431ec9bfa3be27ed)
Further Reading
a. Off the Beaten Path: West Virginia (blog): http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/01/09/off-the-beaten-path-west-virginia/
b. Gandy Creek Truss: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/gandy-creek-bridge/
c. Kate Hewltt Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/kate-hewltt-bridge-cr-2020/
d. Norfolk Western Railroad Bluestone Branch Bluestone River Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/norfolk-western-railroad-bluestone-branch-bluestone-river-bridge/
^Posted another update from today above this.
The Little Sandy River Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/little-sandy-river-bridge-formerly-us-23/) that formerly carried U.S. Route 23 in Greenup, Kentucky was down to the main truss span as of January 1. New abutments for a two lane bridge are in place.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flittle-sandy-river-bridge-formerly-us-23%2F20120101-_dsc6495b.jpg&hash=02a4028dba3a264ed9402c4f4ebb23f8f169f1e9)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flittle-sandy-river-bridge-formerly-us-23%2F20120101-_dsc6510b.jpg%3Fi%3D475362193&hash=30a0b9d304b369f92622ef5c5bad15bcf93f530a)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flittle-sandy-river-bridge-formerly-us-23%2F20120101-_dsc6516b.jpg&hash=7939faadfb1e8636364f7caf8fdaddff20acbc82)
A widened approach is also being constructed.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flittle-sandy-river-bridge-formerly-us-23%2F20120101-_dsc6526b.jpg&hash=5e079d80751a5079c783c05b772caaf11a095bab)
I still have concerns over the trusses - which date to 1884, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. The crossing was used only 883 times a day in 1999, which is minimal, and could have been retained as a pedestrian span, with Kentucky State Route 2 and U.S. Route 23 used as a detour - adding no more miles and saving taxpayers nearly $5 million.
I also took the opportunity to photograph the four span plate girder bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/chesapeake-and-ohio-little-sandy-river-bridge/) that carries CSX (ex-C&O) adjacent to the former U.S. Route 23 and current U.S. Route 23 bridge. It was most likely constructed in the mid 1920s as part of a railroad elevation project.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flittle-sandy-river-bridge-co-railroad%2F20120101-_dsc6525b.jpg&hash=6aaf21f00b8a0689328ed274385df4d744d3b8af)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flittle-sandy-river-bridge-co-railroad%2F20120101-_dsc6518b.jpg&hash=d3ce56b65b37cc3c8dfcd817992218ee025dcf99)
Further Reading
a. US 23 Little Sandy River Bridge Update: http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/01/18/us-23-little-sandy-river-bridge-update/
b. Little Sandy River Bridge (Formerly US 23): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/little-sandy-river-bridge-formerly-us-23/
c. Little Sandy River Bridge (CSX): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/chesapeake-and-ohio-little-sandy-river-bridge/
Northern Kentucky, with the exception of the Cincinnati, Ohio metropolitan area, is almost all rural with rolling terrain and large expanses of farmland. There is no better setting than that to take a drive into the country and capture and recapture some historic bridges on an unusually warm December afternoon in 2011.
I started off by heading eastward along the AA Highway to the Walcott Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/walcott-bridge-formerly-ky-1159/), which spans Locus Creek and formerly carried Kentucky State Route 1159. The covered span, built in 1824 and rebuilt in 1881 as a 74 foot King and Queenpost truss, was privately owned until 1953 when it was bypassed by a new concrete bridge. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and reconstructed in 2002.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwalcott-bridge-formerly-ky-1159%2F20111218-_dsc5772b.jpg&hash=74ab2f5c58c537f33fc6234af753c03e86c2a3be)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwalcott-bridge-formerly-ky-1159%2F20111218-_dsc5771b.jpg&hash=3764d82f5c028a2d173f53865163776a5a969afb)
The pre-2002 site is still visible.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwalcott-bridge-formerly-ky-1159%2F20111218-_dsc5777b.jpg&hash=273ca718064992920d74d5dc42296dcd90327cb8)
Elsewhere in the county is this unique bowstring Pony truss (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/turtle-creek-bridge/), one of the only bridges of its type in the state. Located just west of Augusta, this one lane span over Turtle Creek was recently given a new bridge deck. It may date to the early 1900s.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fturtle-creek-bridge%2F20111218-_dsc5781b.jpg&hash=f5a6c0b819fccfaa72d4b45f5ba875b90e9ae20b)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fturtle-creek-bridge%2F20111218-_dsc5783b.jpg&hash=c0f3e39bfb002c0bfed7ac0fab4b3e1c239a3f01)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fturtle-creek-bridge%2F20111218-_dsc5782b.jpg&hash=4c4680d251b1ee4a30c2f60189e3c13f1b553f72)
Another unique but perhaps not so historic bridge is the H.L. Spurlock Power Plant Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/h-l-spurlock-power-plant-bridge/) west of Maysville. The seven span, 700-foot long plate girder is impressive in that it crosses Lawrence Creek and Kentucky State Route 8, and was built in 1977 as a railroad trestle that carried ash from the power plant to a landfill. In 1997, the bridge was reconstructed into a truck bridge.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fh-l-spurlock-power-plant-bridge%2F20111218-_dsc5830b.jpg&hash=8740c9a00dcfe1137dd07dc9d076a70daea3302a)
Southeast of Maysville is the Dixon Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/dixon-road-bridge/), a Pony truss that crosses the North Fork Licking River. It was built around 1947.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fdixon-road-bridge%2F20111218-_dsc5853b.jpg&hash=481d64d2dd253646de561a98cc0706b31635b068)
Continuing along Dixon Road, I came across the Davis Lane Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/davis-lane-bridge/) southwest of Tollesboro. Crossing the North Fork Licking River, the one-lane Pratt through truss was constructed in 1894 by the Toledo Bridge Company. It was recently given a new aluminum paint job and looks wonderful.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fdavis-lane-bridge%2F20111218-_dsc5864b.jpg&hash=218977c269fb9798a8a08514528f9495be034882)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fdavis-lane-bridge%2F20111218-_dsc5857b.jpg&hash=a37aec5b079e072ddc2429ed83f3e6893ae4b96d)
I ended the day trip with the Kentucky State Route 32 Pony truss bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/scrubgrass-creek-bridge-ky-32/) over Scrubgrass Creek south of Myers, Kentucky in rural Nicholas County. Constructed in 1932, the span crosses over an ex-Louisville & Nashville Railroad, now TTI.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fscrubgrass-creek-bridge-ky-32%2F20111218-_dsc5887b.jpg&hash=ba50429286a0bff710dead2167690ae668a7f559)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fscrubgrass-creek-bridge-ky-32%2F20111218-_dsc5897b.jpg&hash=8e0d2dfb7db036e47c7ec227386aef4d47b16791)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fscrubgrass-creek-bridge-ky-32%2F20111218-_dsc5900b.jpg&hash=3ad72ed26050a049a30deeef67c0946270f75049)
Further Reading
Historic Bridges of Northern Kentucky (blog): http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/01/19/historic-bridges-of-northern-kentucky/
Walcott Covered Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/walcott-bridge-formerly-ky-1159/
Turtle Creek Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/turtle-creek-bridge/
H.L. Spurlock Power Plant Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/h-l-spurlock-power-plant-bridge/
Dixon Road Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/dixon-road-bridge/
Davis Lane Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/davis-lane-bridge/
Scrubgrass Creek Bridge (KY 32): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/scrubgrass-creek-bridge-ky-32/
The Milton-Madison Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/milton-madison-bridge-us-421/) connects Milton, Kentucky to Madison, Indiana and carries U.S. Route 421 over the Ohio River. The historic two-lane Cantilever is currently being replaced in a design-build.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilton-madison-bridge-us-421%2F20120115-_dsc6691.jpg&hash=86af9b393baf627cafd5dcd9a32faa3ab0d3f5c7)
Constructed in 1928-1929, the two lane cantilever truss bridge cost over $1 million to construct and was financed with a 45 cent toll for automobile drivers. The span consists of a 5% approach grade and 19 spans, with five separate bridge design types. The Milton-Madison Bridge connected Kentucky State Routes 36, 37 and 42 with Indiana Highways 7, 29, 56 and 62.
On November 1, 1947, the toll was removed for the bridge and ownership of the span was transferred to the Kentucky Highway Department. The tolls were removed several years earlier than anticipated.
In 1997, the bridge received a thorough rehabilitation. The project included the replacement of the bridge deck, structural steel repairs, patching to existing concrete elements and a new paint overlay. Prior to the rehabilitation, the bridge required a weight restriction, which was removed after the work was completed.
In a 2006 fracture critical inspection, the bridge was given a rating of 4, or poor condition, on both main truss members and floor beams. While all of the truss members were adequate for Kentucky truck permit loadings, the crossing featured inventory ratings less than Inventory Loading (HS20). Issues included pack rust in numerous areas and pitting and section loss to truss members, exterior stringers and floor beams and lateral bracing members. The paint was also rated as fair, and was tarting to fail in several areas due to prior corrosion and poor adhesion. The deck was rated in good condition, although deck leaking was causing some stringers to rust beneath.
An estimated lifespan for the bridge without another rehabilitation was set at ten years.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilton-madison-bridge-us-421%2F20120115-_dsc6699.jpg&hash=f720673b2d02c184681187954817ed72663e9e36)
In June 2008, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) launched the Milton-Madison Bridge Project in an effort to replace the aging bridge. The projected cost of the new bridge was $131 million, and it was expected that both states, Kentucky and Indiana, would identify state and federal funding sources for the cost of the project. The cost of the new bridge was split evenly between the states.
In February 2010, the bridge project received final federal environmental approval. In addition, the project received a boost when the project was awarded $20 million in funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. A project contract was advertised that June, and on September 23, the construction contract was awarded to Walsh Construction with a low bid of $103.9 million. Walsh's bid was the only one submitted that had a total closure time of the bridge of less than one year. Ground was broken on November 30 for the new bridge.
Construction began in January 2011 with the first phase of the project, which involved strengthening the existing piers.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilton-madison-bridge-us-421%2F20120115-_dsc6679.jpg&hash=30c8c96f8722aa71f4d41501e10115b42864d047)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilton-madison-bridge-us-421%2F20120115-_dsc6675.jpg&hash=247a05d88cce92279996bedf2e13d9bf6615618f)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilton-madison-bridge-us-421%2F20120115-_dsc6646.jpg&hash=22d89ce8b1b5410763fecff147984239f0f3ad2c)
Work on temporary approach ramps from Kentucky State Route 36 and Vaughn Drive began in the summer, which will allow for the existing approach ramps to be removed and replaced.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilton-madison-bridge-us-421%2F20120115-_dsc6687.jpg&hash=387eeb291fe90e3f17f20d9ea978882528c25e1a)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilton-madison-bridge-us-421%2F20120115-_dsc6686.jpg&hash=4e2f53b8b9c8f69c9d21215de9053c6e252a89a1)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilton-madison-bridge-us-421%2F20120115-_dsc6673.jpg&hash=dfe3e913a9715d3b7994c84bf350bfa83b99abc4)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilton-madison-bridge-us-421%2F20120115-_dsc6684.jpg&hash=fcd2970f946c607ac0e9555d201dbb21ab2e4e94)
During that time, work began on the temporary downstream piers, and construction of the first truss for the new bridge for the downstream piers began in the fall. The 600-foot, 1,700-ton section of truss is being preassembled, and when the span is completed, the span will be floated upstream where several hydraulic jacks will lift the entire section into place onto temporary piers. A second truss, 727-foot long, will then be constructed and lifted into place onto the temporary piers.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilton-madison-bridge-us-421%2F20120115-_dsc6666.jpg&hash=6c6a5803cdce04289e6f83a072fc47a5f5609ceb)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilton-madison-bridge-us-421%2F20120115-_dsc6657.jpg&hash=509b088f7d01163054ffe76ca91dbdb0ef1df3e0)
At some point, two nearly completed bridges will be side by side. Traffic will be moved onto the new bridge via the temporary ramps, and the old Milton-Madison Bridge will be severed from the piers using controlled explosives. The bridge will be removed from the river with cranes within 24 hours. The total bridge closure time will only be ten days, less than an earlier projected closure date of one year due to the innovative construction techniques being deployed with this project. As such, ferries that were going to be deployed during the construction project may not be needed.
In late 2012, Walsh Construction Company will "slide" the new bridge from its temporary piers onto the original but strengthened piers. The new bridge, which will include a pedestrian sidewalk and bike lanes, is expected to open by September 15, 2012.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilton-madison-bridge-renderings%2F2.jpg&hash=7a657eef989be64c6b52dec5d00cc9995a26dd90)
Further Reading
a. Milton-Madison Ohio River Bridge Replacement (blog): http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/01/23/milton-madison-ohio-river-bridge-replacement/
b. Milton-Madison Bridge (US 421): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/milton-madison-bridge-us-421/
In late January, I made the trip to western Kentucky to visit the Eggner's Ferry Bridge collapse. En route, I was able to stop and photograph the William H. Natcher Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/william-h-natcher-bridge-us-231/), which I have had an article about for years but lacked the photographs. The graceful cable-stayed suspension, connecting Owensboro to Indiana, carries U.S. Route 231 over the Ohio River.
The span is significant, not only for its impressive length at 4,505 feet, but for its unique design that involved the erection of two diamond-shaped concrete towers. Construction on the Natcher Bridge began in 1994 with the completion of two concrete piers, but due to funding issues, work did not progress nay further until 1998.
When construction did resume, work was at times slow due to weather and the complexity of working with the cables. Curing of the concrete was expedited by trucking in ice and circulating cold water from the Ohio River through the structure. Despite this, the project was two years behind schedule when it opened to traffic on October 22, 2002 at a cost of $57 million.
The bridge, the longest of its type in the United States over an inland waterway, is named after House Representative William H. Natcher from Kentucky, who served the public for 40 years and had never missed a call vote until his death on March 29, 1994. His involvement in the project was instrumental in securing funding for the span.
Accessing the bridge site from Kentucky was trickier than expected due to higher water levels along the Ohio River, leading to various access roads being flooded or impassable due to mud and sand.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwilliam-h-natcher-bridge-us-231%2F20120128-_dsc8089.jpg&hash=9ab86ca234b51bf024c7d73a51c72daa2a54dde2)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwilliam-h-natcher-bridge-us-231%2F20120128-_dsc8059.jpg&hash=dac46473e7455f6375562e2645915f7a02c64e77)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwilliam-h-natcher-bridge-us-231%2F20120128-_dsc8065.jpg&hash=c63117f23932fd6bfcd4661c7410c2707c7becb5)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwilliam-h-natcher-bridge-us-231%2F20120128-_dsc8052.jpg&hash=8d0c7667f5448c5bf388fc7a4b1b5c68298d0a0b)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwilliam-h-natcher-bridge-us-231%2F20120128-_dsc8042.jpg&hash=c66a2a07f76638dd68a53023499a6fb0e40e1275)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwilliam-h-natcher-bridge-us-231%2F20120128-_dsc8067.jpg&hash=25c5e2306125922bced114033c57cfd044ac2c50)
Further Reading
a. William H. Natcher Bridge (blog): http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/02/15/william-h-natcher-bridge/
b. William H. Natcher Bridge (article with photos): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/william-h-natcher-bridge-us-231/
I recalled discovering the three crossings of Otter Creek along KY 90 (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/otter-creek-bridge-ky-90/) in southern Kentucky quite a few years ago, but I could never locate the photographs I took back then. While in the area documenting the Battle of Mill Springs reenactment, I headed westward to recapture those crossings and to try to find any information about them.
What's unique is not their design but the many alignments over the bridge. The first span was most likely a truss or a covered bridge, but all that remains is the stone abutments.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fotter-creek-bridge-ky-90%2F20120121-_dsc7503.jpg&hash=50c142f2c54c743c4981e328d4c1e17137d19057)
In 1940, a three span concrete beam bridge was completed with a total length of 159 feet.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fotter-creek-bridge-ky-90%2F20120121-_dsc7487.jpg&hash=578ddca9f9d1010bdffba93982ed8ec5b512222e)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fotter-creek-bridge-ky-90%2F20120121-_dsc7485.jpg&hash=5e1c22e91a3f0638a96a9f261c060e5d0a159154)
This was replaced with a revised alignment and crossing in 1949, with the bridge featuring a total span length of 320 feet.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fotter-creek-bridge-ky-90%2F20120121-_dsc7490.jpg&hash=9b63680c1758cbd5997fb29590bde8054f46d500)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fotter-creek-bridge-ky-90%2F20120121-_dsc7500.jpg&hash=538bf4d6805dc94930d0ef9f4437d9a3dc035a2c)
Finally, in 1979, a new alignment of KY 90 was completed, which featured the erection of a three-span steel girder bridge with a total length of 526 feet.
The 2004 aerial below, from HistoricAerials.com, shows the 1940 and 1949 alignments. The 1979 alignment is to the north and east.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.historicaerials.com%2Fapi%2Fimg-server.php%3Fop%3DfetchHistoricPhotograph%26amp%3Bbbox%3D-84.9824732688881%2C36.7749392282321%2C-84.9766812688881%2C36.7691472282321%26amp%3Byear%3D2004%26amp%3Bstamp%3Dtrue&hash=cff29d959338b38b0ba7d061b24b18906116e873)
Further Reading
a. The Crossings of Otter Creek (blog): http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/02/16/the-crossings-of-otter-creek/
b. Otter Creek Bridges (KY 90): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/otter-creek-bridge-ky-90/
someday, when I become super awesome, I will take the name "Missy Bullet Prince".
Quote from: Sherman Cahal on December 21, 2011, 10:06:58 AM
While traveling to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan earlier in the fall, I came across the picturesque Cut River Bridge along U.S. Route 2 in Mackinac County. The Cantilever deck truss bridge was constructed from 1941 to 1946, and was one of two such spans in the state. The lengthy duration of construction for the 641 foot span was attributed to steel rationing during World War II.
1
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcut-river-bridge%2F20111007-_dsc0329.jpg&hash=9e7a449d3951a5826c70b9dda1c0776bef39801a)
2 The Cut River Bridge was rehabilitated from 2008 to 2009.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcut-river-bridge%2F20111007-_dsc0323.jpg&hash=cef747cde37f8a455e3ddb0b0bf8b2efe43cdb08)
3 The detailing on the bridge is original and quite nice.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcut-river-bridge%2F20111007-_dsc0326.jpg&hash=6768006dcb14cd2436de8308b69ff749d4a8a80c)
4
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcut-river-bridge%2F20111007-_dsc0319.jpg&hash=04f76ad304949aeafa9d2d21ad515b94b698cec9)
Further Reading
a. Cut River Bridge (blog): http://bridgestunnels.com/2011/12/19/cut-river-bridge/
b. Cut River Bridge (article): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/michigan/cut-river-bridge/
c. Related - A Taste of the Upper Peninsula: http://www.americanbyways.com/2011/12/20/a-taste-of-the-upper-peninsula/
Wonder what the crossing was before that?
My best friend in high school's family had a place on Dale Hollow Lake, and he and I (and our brothers) would sometimes go down there to fish. Back in the late 70s I remembered crossing that second bridge and seeing the old bridge down below. However, it was nearly 30 years before I got to go back down there and see for myself first-hand, since the current KY 90 alignment runs well away from the two old bridges.
With a recent trip to western Kentucky, I opted to meander along the Ohio River to visit a part of the state that I had neglected for my nearly 27 years of existence. This was only my second trip to the Owensboro region, and my first to the Jackson Purchase region of the state, and there were many impressive and historic spans to consider and photograph.
The first major crossing that I came across was the Lincoln Trail Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/lincoln-trail-bridge/) between Cannelton, Indiana and Hawesville, Kentucky, connecting to IN 237 and KY 69. The first crossing near this location was the Hawesville ferry, which was in operation from 1831 to the opening of the two-lane steel trussed through bridge on December 21, 1966. The Lincoln Trail Bridge was tolled until the 1990s.
Thankfully, the rust-colored span is slated for repainting in 2012.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flincoln-trail-bridge%2F20120128-_dsc8033.jpg&hash=bfc37a722253982836c9169e4a9b3f505ba9e146)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flincoln-trail-bridge%2F20120128-_dsc8004.jpg&hash=c92a14f2eeeaa3fd9870d80a5ea58626555f82ac)
Crossing between Paducah, Kentucky and Brookport, Illinois is the Brookport-Paducah Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/brookport-paducah-bridge-us-45/) that carries US 45 over the Ohio River. Opened to traffic on May 8, 1929, the 5,300-foot ten-span crossing was built by the Rouse Construction Company, the Union Bridge and Construction Company and the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company. The designs vary on the bridge, from three Warren pony trusses, to one Parker through truss, nine Warren through trusses and four deck trusses. The bridge is narrow — the deck width is less than 20 feet wide, and sharp bends in the spans make driving across it an adventure.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbrookport-ohio-river-bridge-us-45%2F20120129-_dsc8728.jpg&hash=df313d431f71041a39022c8ebc332bc04334e51f)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbrookport-ohio-river-bridge-us-45%2F20120129-_dsc8731.jpg&hash=81666d63b8c045515d5eb9afe6946b67447c70c8)
Below is a 20 minute exposure of the span, with the Ohio River at a slightly elevated level.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbrookport-ohio-river-bridge-us-45%2F20120128-_dsc8316.jpg&hash=a7eae84db10008b0943c562c6cc36835f3392ad0)
The Paducah Ohio River Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/paducah-ohio-river-bridge-interstate-24/) carries Interstate 24 over the Ohio River between Paducah, Kentucky and Metropolis, Illinois. Constructed in 1973, the four-lane, two-span tied arch bridge functionally replaced the narrow Brookport-Paducah Bridge as the through route between the two states. The southern arch span measures 730 feet in length, while the northern arch span measures 630 feet in length. The bridge also features 17 continuous stringer approach spans.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fpaducah-ohio-river-bridge-interstate-24%2F20120129-_dsc8746.jpg&hash=1d8c3386f7d7a05c41a87a6153b00240fc5da537)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fpaducah-ohio-river-bridge-interstate-24%2F20120129-_dsc8743.jpg&hash=72f3ff293bb778b47d2ca31d51bc18cad3a19bf5)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fpaducah-ohio-river-bridge-interstate-24%2F20120129-_dsc8723.jpg&hash=ea503874a6999f7b9cf37200cb393240fde4daae)
Further west, at Wickliffe, is the cantilevered Warren through truss over the Ohio River that carries US 51, US 60 and US 62 (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/cairo-ohio-river-bridge-us-51-us-60-us-62/). Designed by Modjeski and Masters and completed by the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company and the Mount Vernon Bridge Company, the narrow two-lane route was completed in 1933. A toll was levied by the Cairo Bridge Commission until the construction bonds were paid off in 1948.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcairo-ohio-river-bridge-us-51-us-60%2F20120129-_dsc8556.jpg&hash=ff934e29ee7881666c695cda618bac88eef88883)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcairo-ohio-river-bridge-us-51-us-60%2F20120129-_dsc8548.jpg&hash=a3944cb7f05e4af6eeea66b859f91f669e60c877)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcairo-ohio-river-bridge-us-51-us-60%2F20120129-_dsc8534.jpg&hash=868a10a22d223734b9c871cf4a397df2af4547c2)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcairo-ohio-river-bridge-us-51-us-60%2F20120129-_dsc8468.jpg&hash=c64ce95563963ba1090f22791859de5ab260655f)
Cairo, Illinois is also served by the Illinois Central Railroad Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/cairo-ohio-river-bridge-illinois-central-railroad/) over the Ohio River, a major through line that is currently used by Canadian National Railway. It was the first railroad link completed between Chicago and New Orleans, and revolutionized rail travel along the Mississippi River.
The need for a railroad bridge in Cairo was great by the late 1800s, when as many as 500,000 railroad cars were being ferried across the Mississippi and Ohio River each year. Those shipments were valued at $60 million, the highest per capita in the nation. The Illinois Central (IC), incorporated in 1851, extended from Galena to Cairo, and connected major industrial and agricultural centers in Illinois. At Cairo, the IC connected to the rivers, taking advantage of the burgeoning steamboat traffic along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. At the time of its completion, the IC was the lognest single railroad operating in the United States at 700 miles in length.
The first bridge discussion came in January 1859 from James Clarke, IC Master of Transportation, who noted that the railroad's natural connections were with the railroads leading to Mobile and New Orleans. But the passage of the Ohio River Bridges Act in 1872, heralded as a victory by steamboat operators, required more extensive planning, map, and profiles be developed for a crossing over the Ohio River than any other navigable waterway.
It was not until March 1887 that a site visit was made and the first proposal was evaluated. The proposed bridge site featured a river width of 4,000 feet. Two miles upriver, the width narrowed to around 3,000 feet, which raised the possibility of filling in with stone some of the shoreline to narrow the channel. But that idea was rejected, leading the engineers to design a 52 truss steel span bridge with a length of 10,560 feet, the longest of any metal bridge in the world. The total length, including trestles, was 20,461 feet, or 3.875 miles. The channel portion of the crossing consisted of nine pin-connected, Whipple through truss spans, two of which were 518.5 feet long and the other seven 400 feet long, and three 249 foot Pratt deck spans. The pin-connected Whipple trusses were also 18 inches longer than the 1877 Cincinnati Southern bridge as well. But the lengths of the Whipple trusses double panel diagonals led to less rigidity under load.
The contract with the War Department stipulated that work on the Cairo crossing be started before March 29, 1887, and pile driving for the Kentucky approach had already commenced when Morison began preparing construction plans for the main spans. The contract was awarded in May to Union Bridge Company for the superstructure.
By the end of August 1889, the steelworkers from Baird had completed the last through truss.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fhistoricals%2F1-photocopy-from-george-s-morison-the-cairo-bridge-1892.jpg&hash=6e3454b2a6d3584ec025389169477a36dda1ee59)
Shortly after 9 AM on October 29, the first train crossed the bridge from Illinois into Kentucky. Work still remained on the bridge, which included construction on the floor, painting and other minor details that continued until March 1, 1890. The total cost was $2,675,457.92, or just slightly more than $200,000 over the original estimate.
Construction began in 1949 on a replacement truss for the Ohio River crossing, utilizing many of the original bridge piers. Built while keeping the existing span in place, work on the through truss was completed in 1952.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcairo-ohio-river-bridge-illinois-central-railroad%2F20120129-_dsc8646.jpg&hash=2f0678c5ee621e6c238b63b841044bdda07e3cd3)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcairo-ohio-river-bridge-illinois-central-railroad%2F20120129-_dsc8669.jpg&hash=24ee50ae41e587304f86ee6f538a9355a350a2b0)
Click through to the Cairo Ohio River Bridge (Illinois Central Railroad) for an exhaustive history of this historic bridge.
Further Reading
a. Lincoln Trail Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/lincoln-trail-bridge/
b. Brookport-Paducah Bridge (US 45): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/brookport-paducah-bridge-us-45/
c. Paducah Ohio River Bridge (Interstate 24): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/paducah-ohio-river-bridge-interstate-24/
d. Cairo Ohio River Bridge (US 51, US 60, US 62): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/cairo-ohio-river-bridge-us-51-us-60-us-62/
e. Cairo Ohio River Bridge (Illinois Central Railroad): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/cairo-ohio-river-bridge-illinois-central-railroad/
Quote from: texaskdog on February 16, 2012, 12:49:33 PM
Quote from: Sherman Cahal on December 21, 2011, 10:06:58 AM
While traveling to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan earlier in the fall, I came across the picturesque Cut River Bridge along U.S. Route 2 in Mackinac County. The Cantilever deck truss bridge was constructed from 1941 to 1946, and was one of two such spans in the state. The lengthy duration of construction for the 641 foot span was attributed to steel rationing during World War II.
Wonder what the crossing was before that?
There's a Cut River Rd that crosses the river upstream from its outlet on Lake Michigan.
http://g.co/maps/5ek6u
I'm familiar with the bridges across the Ohio around there. When I lived in southern Illinois, my very first day driving a delivery truck included driving across the Wickliffe bridge; it was under construction, and the single open lane was restricted even further; how nervous was I! I would drive across the Brookport bridge every so often, as I sometimes would make deliveries in both Brookport and Paducah; my wife doesn't like high bridges, yet I drove her over it once on our way to pick up the moving truck that would bring us to Kansas (she didn't thank me). While I was working for the same supply company, one of our other drivers was involved in a multicar pileup on the I-24 bridge; traffic was at a dead stop, he hit the brakes not knowing the rear ones weren't working, and his truck rear-ended a Corvette, which rear-ended another Corvette; all of this high over the Ohio River itself; when the cops tested the truck and found the inspection sticker to be out of date and the rear brakes not functioning, they hauled the truck away and the company owner had to pick the driver up; big law suit.
For nearby bridges, I recommend Shawneetown and Chester.
Quote from: Sherman Cahal on March 06, 2012, 09:18:40 PM
Thankfully, the rust-colored span is slated for repainting in 2012.
I actually like the way that bridge looks with the rusting on it. is it threatening to become a structural problem?
^No, but it's become an eyesore for the two cities that border the bridge.
^^ WOW!
The Stonelick Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/stonelick-covered-bridge/) is located on Stonelick-Williams Corner Road in rural Clermont County, Ohio and was constructed in 1878. The 140-foot Howe Truss is the last covered span in the county, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
In 2008, the Clermont County Engineer's office applied to the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program and received a $360,000 federal grant, which required a $90,000 local match. The office then hired a covered bridge consultant who presented five preservation options. After public meetings, the Engineer's office settled on a $1.1 million plan that would involve constructing a new bridge inside the historic span while preserving most of the old bridge. The new crossing would consist of arches constructed of glued laminated timber and would increase the bridge's weight to 12 tons, enabling emergency vehicles and school buses to cross.
Some groups opposed the plans, stating that rehabilitation of the existing bridge would be $400,000 cheaper.
On May 22, 2010, an overweight truck crossed the covered bridge and caused extensive damage to the structure. The county engineer's office, upon hearing reports from area residents that the floor beams were damaged, immediately closed the span. A truck driver, crossing with a 11-ton vehicle that was well in excess of the 3-ton limit, was later charged and the driver's company settled with the county for over $10,000.
Rehabilitation work could start in the spring of 2012 and be complete by winter.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fstonelick-covered-bridge%2F20110111-_dsc2476.jpg&hash=64b357980054cdaae2e1ebe691b17b001e7bfc3f)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fstonelick-covered-bridge%2F20110111-_dsc2486.jpg&hash=e00aed5ec951f81eea524f125c786c9c9b54b3ae)
Further Reading
a. Stonelick Covered Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/stonelick-covered-bridge/ (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/stonelick-covered-bridge/)
Quote from: Sherman Cahal on March 08, 2012, 10:37:27 AM
^No, but it's become an eyesore for the two cities that border the bridge.
then Fatcat von Crybaby McElitistBag can climb up there himself with a bucket of paint. not a legitimate use of tax dollars.
There are many reasons to paint a bridge, which you may not be aware of. What you see is the primer on the span, which is an indication that the bridge needs a repainting. I looked through the INDOT/KYTC contracts and can't find the last time it was painted, most likely in the early 1980s. Besides the obvious beautification of the span, there are many components that need frequent painting and maintenance that are hidden from the driver's view. It's shocking that people are so focused on building new for everything, yet we neglect our crumbling infrastructure that the ASCE just noted needs $1.2 -trillion- worth of work just to keep it in good condition.
--
The Sulphur-Bedford Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/sulphur-bedford-road-bridge-ky-3175/), built in 1901, was abandoned in 1999 when a replacement span was constructed along the Little Kentucky River in rural Trimble County, Kentucky. The span has deteriorated substantially since its closing, and is not safe to cross by foot.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsulphur-bedford-road-bridge-ky-3175%2F20120115-_dsc6760.jpg&hash=b6480ce098a89848fcb475ca3fc1ea8a223c4a41)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsulphur-bedford-road-bridge-ky-3175%2F20120115-_dsc6746.jpg&hash=b58f05b1dfd10ae43b30213dc1cfdd8bed9149d0)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsulphur-bedford-road-bridge-ky-3175%2F20120115-_dsc6751.jpg&hash=70b003c19e9d3aa4a32abeb25aba25ad9ab9470f)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsulphur-bedford-road-bridge-ky-3175%2F20120115-_dsc6765.jpg&hash=5f0f72803c3cf30e78dc9e87def746a2fee147cb)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsulphur-bedford-road-bridge-ky-3175%2F20120115-_dsc6766.jpg&hash=c9dca46bb8ee70b1502d95713f2d2ace7259f0f7)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsulphur-bedford-road-bridge-ky-3175%2F20120115-_dsc6773.jpg&hash=1c5cb5f9d0be6e4051ca386fb61d7667b1e9fbb7)
Further Reading
a. Sulphur-Bedford Road Bridge (KY 3175): http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/sulphur-bedford-road-bridge-ky-3175/
I have been neglecting some of the fantastic bridge architecture in Columbus, Ohio until lately, having been in the city many times throughout the last six months visiting friends and enjoying the nightlife. For my last trip, I opted to at least walk around on an unusually warm winter morning and capture the new Main Street crossing (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/columbus-ohio-main-street-bridge/) over the Scioto River.
The original Main Street Bridge was a multiple span, art-deco open-spandrel concrete deck arch bridge that was constructed in 1937. After it had substantially deteriorated, the bridge was closed in 2000 to traffic. Demolition began in August 2006.
Desiring an iconic bridge to replace the art-deco bridge, the city of Columbus contracted with Dr. Spiro Pollalis, professor of design technology and management at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design to design a new crossing. Also leading the design was DLZ Ohio, a Columbus-based architectural, engineering and environmental services company for project management, and HNTB as a partner for the lead structural design work. The design criteria was established by state and federal transportation officials, city leaders, the state historic preservation office, the Franklin County engineer, area residential and commercial developers that were near the bridge, the Greater Columbus Arts Council and the downtown association, among others.
Part of the financing was derived from $15 million from the State Infrastructure Bank and $8.3 million in city bonds for the bridge design. When bids were let for construction, the lowest construction bid was $44.1 million. The bridge, completed on July 30, 2010, was the first single inclined arch suspension bridge in North America and the fifth in the world to use an inclined arch superstructure. The cost of the bridge was $60.1 million.
It is beautiful and a testament to modern civil engineering. While I lament the loss of the art-deck open-spandrel arch that stood for so many years, it was in poor structural condition and that rehabilitation would only extend its lifespan for only a set number of short years before needing another infusion of funding.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcolumbus-ohio-main-street-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9859.jpg&hash=d00de324b809aadd63f2bb07d1112dfd6613f947)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcolumbus-ohio-main-street-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9846.jpg&hash=6c230972f5f59d0e801cf59a18ea12d657b9ea36)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcolumbus-ohio-main-street-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9806.jpg&hash=3cff026941e247828bfe8395d394428c0c767c50)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcolumbus-ohio-main-street-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9798.jpg&hash=62bd05c56dcd5a93e91f0dbe1228e761fe2a8e24)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcolumbus-ohio-main-street-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9789.jpg&hash=2ce1ea498e5495aab7a3f7305d0bedba709c41ec)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcolumbus-ohio-main-street-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9778.jpg&hash=507f736dcd51b8ff4b262933ed09c475fdc619b3)
Further Reading
a. Main Street Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/columbus-ohio-main-street-bridge/
As I told folks at the C-bus meet last year (when we stopped at this bridge), they should have flip/flop this bridge with the Lane Ave. bridge. The Lane ave. suspension bridge would stand out more, amongst the Columbus skyscrapers while the Main St. bridge, with its "futuristic design" would be a wonderful observational piece for engineering and planning students alike at OSU.
That and the Main St. bridge came in at triple it's original cost (so no more fancy bridges in Columbus for awhile)
Rather unassuming but equally as important, two Pratt through truss bridges in Columbus, Ohio (http://urbanup.net/cities/ohio/columbus-ohio/) carried the Hocking Valley (HV) Railroad (http://www.abandonedonline.net/railroads/hocking-valley-railway/) and the Toledo & Ohio Central (T&OC) Railroad over the Scioto River near downtown. The westernmost span was constructed for the HV while the easternmost span was constructed for the T&OC, and both carried dual tracks. The HV bridge was located immediately north of their Mound Street Yard.
Groundbreaking for the HV occurred on June 5, 1867 in Columbus, with the lower and upper HV spans over the Scioto River being completed on April 29, 1868.
There isn't all that much information on the bridges in general, but it is known that the steel griders to the immediate north for the HV were replaced in 1910, and it is surmised that the Scioto River Bridge was replaced at that time. The T&OC bridges north of the Scioto River were replaced in 1920, and it is surmised that the Scioto River Bridge was replaced at that time. The 1910 and 1920 dates are sourced from the National Bridge Inventory.
From a dating perspective, that would correlate to their appearance. The HV bridge is to the right, and features slightly lighter gauge steel and more intricate trusses, whereas the T&OC bridge has heavier steelwork and less decorative elements.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fhocking-valley-railroad-and-toledo-and-ohio-central-railroad-scioto-river-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9824.jpg&hash=eb136e89b446a6d79227840c2ae6561521a5d544)
The HV eventually went under the control of the Chesapeake & Ohio, later known as CSX. On June 1, 1999, Conrail was split between CSX and Norfolk Southern, with CSX receiving a 42% share of the ex-New York Central Lines, including the former T&OC line from Columbus north. With both the HV and the T&OC under CSX control, they commanded use of both Scioto River bridges north of the Mound Street Yard.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fhocking-valley-railroad-and-toledo-and-ohio-central-railroad-scioto-river-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9816.jpg&hash=aba2e98af6db3eeaebe0e6af51a19506d4fa4fd7)
The Rich Street underpass was built in 1910 and surmised to have been enlarged in 1920. It was built as a five track alignment, with four mains and one siding, although the siding tracks were later removed.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcolumbus-ohio-rich-street-underpass%2F20120226-_dsc9835.jpg&hash=9cb9e54e43c1f1d7913d1d5141a64f3d183b9eb1)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcolumbus-ohio-rich-street-underpass%2F20120226-_dsc9839.jpg&hash=fc95a25a615badce441412869834710557ecc11d)
Further Reading
a. HV and T&OC Railroad Scioto River Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/hocking-valley-railroad-and-toledo-and-ohio-central-railroad-scioto-river-bridge/
Endangered Delaware County, Ohio Bridges
On a recent trip to Columbus, Ohio, I decided to make a side trip to photograph two endangered Delaware County bridges.
Brown Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/brown-road-bridge/), which is located on Scioto Township Road 176 over Bokes Creek west of Delaware, was constructed in 1915 by the Bellefontaine Bridge and Steel Company. It replaced an earlier span that was washed out in the 1913 flood. The riveted Pratt through truss was determined to be eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
In early 2010, the county engineering office studied options on whether to rehabilitate or replace the Brown Road Bridge. The crossing was found to be in poor structural condition, and the decision ultimately was made to replace the truss. The new bridge is estimated to cost $2.3 million. The federal local bridge program funded up to 95% of the estimated $1.5 million in construction and engineering costs, with the remainder coming from Delaware County road and bridge funds.
Right-of-way and utility work is currently ongoing for the replacement bridge.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbrown-road-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9871.jpg&hash=7981776b77aef2613f79a62f602a476fc83446a6)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbrown-road-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9866.jpg&hash=d214656ea07ef9925d28036840670967d9cca9c6)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbrown-road-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9870.jpg&hash=78ef49a7d5e9624187e077a76672f4517ea7c10f)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbrown-road-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9867.jpg&hash=fd9d6890d714e97bb9ad1f8ceb2d21fa5b8fd332)
A little closer to development and equally as endangered, the Orange Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/orange-road-bridge/) is a through truss bridge over the Olentangy River on West Orange Road in Powell immediately east of OH 315, the Olentangy Heritage Corridor. Constructed in 1898 by the Toledo Bridge Company, the 9-panel, pin-connected Pratt through truss is historically significant for its design. It is one of two remaining Pratt through trusses built by the Toledo Bridge Company.
The truss replaced the "Thomas Bridge," a wooden crossing that had been washed out in a flood.
The substructure was built by McDonald & Cook and is sandstone. The deck was originally wooden, built of 3-inch burr and white oak timbers, although it was later given an asphalt overlay.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Forange-road-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9877.jpg&hash=0e624a7a46127fb405f745c9615f2a13ba5905e8)
In 1970, the Orange Road Bridge was rehabilitated. During the project, the Ohio Bridge Company of Cambridge, Ohio raised the bridge, removed the old bridge seats, and added new ones that were concrete reinforced with steel. Four hip verticals, the first vertical members beyond the portal, were reinforced with the addition of 32-foot, 1.25-inch diameter vertical rods between each pair of 2-inch x 5/8-inch vertical square bars. In the 1980s, the east abutment was faced with concrete.
At its spring 2001 meeting, the Ohio Historic Bridge Association passed a resolution recommending the preservation of the Orange Road Bridge. The bridge was included in the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 2002.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Forange-road-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9886.jpg&hash=eaa4773420408a0e49f3eccdea5eb677c966bd85)
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In 2005, due to structural deficiencies, a three-ton weight limit was imposed. A new bridge for Orange Road was completed in 2009. Due to the local, state and national significance of the bridge, the original Orange Road Bridge was not demolished.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Forange-road-bridge%2F20120226-_dsc9888.jpg&hash=39fbf3334640dbecc4ff0009011569520bfdb259)
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Further Reading
a. Brown Road Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/brown-road-bridge/
b. Orange Road Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/orange-road-bridge/
Also see https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=6121.0
Instead of catching up on housework and painting on a rainy day in Cincinnati, Ohio, I opted to head north to visit some of western Ohio's historic bridges. My first stop was the Fudge Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/fudge-road-bridge/) in Preble County, which carries TR 347 over Aukerman Creek. Constructed in 1913 by the Central States Bridge Company of Indianapolis, it is regarded to be one of the longer half-hip pony trusses constructed.
The structurally deficient bridge was recently closed to traffic, and it will not likely be replaced with a new crossing.
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Nearby was the Brubaker Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/brubaker-covered-bridge/), which is located over Sam's Run on Aukerman Creek Road, which later became Brubker Road in Preble County. Constructed in 1887 by Everett S. Sherman for $986, the covered Childs through truss was rehabilitated from 2005 to 2006. The project was initially approved for the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program, for which 80% of the cost would be covered by federal funds. But due to the War in Iraq, the federal funds were withdrawn by the federal government despite its approval. But due to the efforts of Linda Bailiff of the Office of Local Assistance, the Ohio Department of Transportation agreed to provide $237,600 in state funding and $92,400 in PCEO funding for the renovation.
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The Seven Mile Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/seven-mile-road-bridge/) (TR 331) is located on Seven Mile Road and crosses Seven Mile Creek. Constructed in 1906 by the Indiana Bridge Company of Muncie, Indiana, the Seven Mile Bridge is a single-span, 155-foot long, pin-connected "High Triangular" truss — a loose copy of a 1906 Pegram truss, and is the only one of its type in Ohio. The Pegram truss was patented by George H. Pegram in 1885, and featured equal-length sloping upper chords, a lack of verticals and steeply sloped diagonals, saving steel and allowing for easy disassembly. It was difficult to make riveted connections and was mostly used in the late 20th century.
The Seven Mile Bridge was rehabilitated in 1985 with a new wood bridge deck and the addition of welded stiffeners to the floorbeam hangers.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fseven-mile-road-bridge%2F20120513-_dsc6652.jpg&hash=2cfac47bc4efe30eddd20cdaaf1f3eb6ab1abc19)
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The Harshman Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/harshman-covered-bridge/) is located on Concord-Fairhaven Road and crosses Four Mile Creek and was constructed in 1894 by Everett S. Sherman at a cost of $3,184, with masonry work completed by J.M. Acton. The stone abutments were sourced from the Stony Point quarry just to the north, and a sawmill along the creek near the bridge provided cut lumber.
From December 2007 to May 2008, the covered bridge was rehabilitated with new siding, flooring system and standing seam metal roof. In addition, deficient upper and lower chords were replaced or added, and the weight limit was raised on the bridge from 6 tons to 15 tons. Financing for the project derived with 95% federal funding.
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I was lucky to make it eastward to the Consolidated Road Underpass (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/consolidated-road-underpass-eaton-and-hamilton-railroad/) for the Norfolk Southern Railroad south of Eaton in time to catch a passing train!
The stone underpass, which was constructed in 1880 for the Eaton and Hamilton Railroad (E&H), later the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad (CH&D) and eventually Conrail and Norfolk Southern. The E&H was chartered on February 8, 1847 to construct a line from the Richmond and Miami Railroad at Eaton southeast towards the CH&D north of Hamilton. The E&H used trackage rights into the city and south to New Miami. The E&H was opened to Eaton on July 1, 1852.
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Just to the north in Eaton is the St. Clair Street Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/st-clair-street-bridge/). Constructed in 1887 by Columbia Bridge Works of Dayton, the eight-panel pin-connected Pratt through truss measures just over 100 feet in length. The crossing was rehabilitated in 1999 and a new paver brick deck was installed.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fst-clair-street-bridge%2F20120513-_dsc6698.jpg&hash=f509b0e92c83886085c1b0f6d3bc1333b494aad2)
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Northwest of Eaton is the Monebrake Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/monebrake-road-bridge/), located on Monebrake Road that crosses Seven Mile Creek. The one-lane Warren pony truss was constructed in 1910 by the York Bridge Company of York, Pennsylvania.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmonebrake-road-bridge%2F20120513-_dsc6702.jpg&hash=42d68d22f00c2509a201893fa8a7ecfeadbba6f7)
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The Pratt through truss Sonora Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/sonora-road-bridge/) crosses Twin Creek and was constructed in 1902.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsonora-road-bridge%2F20120513-_dsc6722.jpg&hash=1ca5c4a18facff179c2b67899225e65c8bd05f88)
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That concludes part 1 of the western Ohio historic bridge tour. Part 2 will cover some additional spans in an adjoining county!
Further Reading
Brubaker Covered Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/brubaker-covered-bridge/
Consolidated Road Underpass: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/consolidated-road-underpass-eaton-and-hamilton-railroad/
Fudge Road Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/fudge-road-bridge/
Harshman Covered Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/harshman-covered-bridge/
Monebrake Road Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/monebrake-road-bridge/
Seven Mile Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/seven-mile-road-bridge/
Sonora Road Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/sonora-road-bridge/
St. Clair Street Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/st-clair-street-bridge/
Part two of the western Ohio historic bridge tour begins with the McClure Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/mcclure-road-bridge/) in Darke County. This wrought-iron, seven-panel Pratt through truss was constructed in 1882 by the Massillon Bridge Company of Massillon, Ohio.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmcclure-road-bridge%2F20120513-_dsc6786.jpg&hash=62c14cdab201d4c68b4c9aa4c9307d28e19bf755)
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I headed eastward through Greenville and began tracing the former Richmond and Covington Railroad, which later became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad and Conrail. The rail line was abandoned in 1983 and is slowly being converted into Ohio Bicycle Route 36 (Ohio and Indiana Trail). But along the way, I came across the Mill Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/mill-road-bridge/) that carried Mill Road over Greenville Creek in Gettysburg. Constructed in 1881 by the Massillon Bridge Company of Massillon, Ohio, the Whipple through truss was rehabilitated in 2011 and 2012. Rehabilitation work included repairing the superstructure, installing a new 3″x4″ timber strip deck and asphalt chip-seal surface, the placement of new wood guardrails and re-mortaring the masonry abutments.
The bridge is part of the Bicycle Route 36, and will be fully open to bicycles and pedestrians in the near future.
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A series of four overpasses was constructed for the Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/columbus-piqua-indiana-railroad-covington-ohio-bridges/) in Covington. The line westward, from Columbus, Ohio to Union City, Indiana, opened on March 25, 1859. The railroad eventually became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad and then Conrail before being abandoned in 1983.
Adrian Miller requested to tear down the Wall Street overpass on May 1, 2008, with the goal to keep the stones for personal use.(2) The North Mill Street overpass, after being excavated around for dirt, was given an immediate bridge inspection in the spring of 2009. The street has since been closed to traffic.
This is slated to be part of Ohio Bicycle Route 36 (Ohio and Indiana Trail).
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcolumbus-piqua-indiana-railroad-covington-ohio-bridges%2F20120513-_dsc6842.jpg&hash=1e760d4275b82c3dce175345be0c43bf3be02641)
North Wall Street
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North Pearl Street
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North High Street
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North Main Street
To the south is the Falknor Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/falknor-road-bridge/). The two-span, pin-connected Pratt through truss over the Stillwater River was constructed in 1899. A stone arch bridge is located just to the east and was constructed at the same time.
Relocation work for a new Falknor Bridge began in June 1970 when sealed bids were being accepted by contractors for a replacement Falknor Bridge and alignment. Approach costs in 1971 were pegged at $39,225. Today, the bridges lie within the F.L. Blankenship Riverside Sanctuary.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ffalknor-road-bridge%2F20120513-_dsc6856.jpg&hash=eefdcc3ce382302e51ddf05e1b5f350fa182fce1)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ffalknor-road-bridge%2F20120513-_dsc6850.jpg&hash=9623a5aa372451b94aff464bf4d40e768cf89305)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ffalknor-road-bridge%2F20120513-_dsc6855.jpg&hash=e7499829b374509be10434c711089da8898722bd)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ffalknor-road-bridge%2F20120513-_dsc6861.jpg&hash=f28020f9e91bbb2f04fd79f77a0158bcacfa647e)
I ended the tour of western Ohio's historic spans with the Owens Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/owens-road-bridge/). Carrying Owens Road over Panther Creek, the bridge was constructed in the 1880s by the Smith Bridge Company of Toledo, Ohio. The six-panel, pin-connected Pratt through truss was rehabilitated in 1958.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fowens-road-bridge%2F20120513-_dsc6872.jpg&hash=8f2c6d5c5856d8d1119e8ac9c7cd070690722159)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fowens-road-bridge%2F20120513-_dsc6870.jpg&hash=b14d1d77b4ca0f1ca44c679df28f8456adb3b94f)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fowens-road-bridge%2F20120513-_dsc6867.jpg&hash=cd6d8736a4a64ee54691f32b5fe559ddfcc9fe31)
Further Reading
Columbus, Piqua and Indiana Railroad Covington, Ohio Bridges: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/columbus-piqua-indiana-railroad-covington-ohio-bridges/
Falknor Road Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/falknor-road-bridge/
McClure Road Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/mcclure-road-bridge/
Mill Road Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/mill-road-bridge/
Owens Road Bridge: http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/owens-road-bridge/
Corona-Bayard Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/06/08/corona-bayard-road-bridge/)
While exploring the region around Thomas and Davis, West Virginia, I made a side trip to visit some former coal camp communities in extreme western Maryland. By accident, while traveling WV 92, I came across the former Corona-Bayard Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/maryland/corona-bayard-road-bridge/), which carried Corona-Bayard Road over the North Branch Potomac River between Garrett County, Maryland and Bayard, West Virginia.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcorona-bayard-road-bridge%2F20120602-_dsc7762.jpg&hash=7adf2cf5f5f48c64063dab17a01909cd71fc287d)
Constructed in 1896 by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Ohio, the bridge was a three-span crossing, with two steel beam approach spans and a center pin-connected Pratt through truss. The truss contained five panels with diagonal endposts, and had a main span length of 91.3 feet. It originally had a vertical clearance of 13.7 feet, but at some point prior to 1984, a vertical restriction device was added that capped the clearance to 8.6 feet.
On November 25, 1935, the road departments of Maryland and West Virginia agreed to reconstruct the Corona-Bayard Road Bridge, although there is no evidence existing to show what reconstruction work was conducted. New stringers and steel deck were added in 1961, and the spans were strengthened in 1982, and on several occasions between 1982 and 1988.
Large trucks hauling coal illegally crossed the bridge on a daily basis, ignoring the posted weight limit that accelerated deterioration of the bridge. On July 8, 1988, the Corona-Bayard Road Bridge was closed to traffic due to the presence of deteriorated fracture critical members, the moderate to severe deterioration in the stringers, the losses on the steel grid deck, the stringer weld attachments to the floor beams that were broken, the tipped and mis-arranged steel bent supporting columns, and extensive rusting.
The Corona-Bayard Road Bridge is scheduled for replacement. A bid request was posted on January 11, 2012 with it being due to the office on February 9. The contract for the bridge replacement was let to Carl Belt Inc. on May 15 for the amount of $1,246,205.(6)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcorona-bayard-road-bridge%2F20120602-_dsc7767.jpg&hash=34519494aff4322194b8c83889569bbc76f0cbb6)
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(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcorona-bayard-road-bridge%2F20120602-_dsc7780.jpg&hash=ec7269f16c389f41544abef20b355572b984b9ae)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcorona-bayard-road-bridge%2F20120602-_dsc7781.jpg&hash=7136f8c228c2f05d20010287b7759f64e407af9a)
It is a shame that this span is now being replaced after standing for over two decades as a pedestrian and bicycle connection. With the amount of one- and two-lane routes in this area, the historic bridge could have served as encouragement to develop an extensive rural bicycling network. Or at the very least, the span could have been relocated elsewhere for use on a rail-to-trail or within a park.
Quote from: JREwing78 on March 06, 2012, 10:50:27 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on February 16, 2012, 12:49:33 PM
Quote from: Sherman Cahal on December 21, 2011, 10:06:58 AM
While traveling to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan earlier in the fall, I came across the picturesque Cut River Bridge along U.S. Route 2 in Mackinac County. The Cantilever deck truss bridge was constructed from 1941 to 1946, and was one of two such spans in the state. The lengthy duration of construction for the 641 foot span was attributed to steel rationing during World War II.
Wonder what the crossing was before that?
There's a Cut River Rd that crosses the river upstream from its outlet on Lake Michigan.
http://g.co/maps/5ek6u
There wasn't a highway through that area. US 2 followed what is now H-40 and other roads before it was moved closer to the lakeshore. See the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_2_in_Michigan) for more details.
These are photographic updates along the Ohio River, from Ashland, Kentucky to Louisville and some points in between.
I start out with the Ben Williamson Bridge - in green, and the Simon Willis Bridge - in blue, in Ashland. The Ben Williamson Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/ben-williamson-bridge-12th-street) was constructed from 1928 to 1932 and was a tolled facility until they were lifted in 1941. The bridge was rehabilitated in 1999 with a new driving deck and structural improvements, and was painted a battleship gray color. In 2007, it was repainted green.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fben-williamson-bridge-12th-street%2F20120610-_dsc8368.jpg&hash=811a9bc12f591fb9d9d151e4b65db88ff87d7725)
The Simon Willis Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/simeon-willis-bridge-13th-street) is newer, having been constructed between 1981 to 1985. For years, a second span over the Ohio River was proposed elsewhere in the city, to supplement or replace the Ben Williamson Bridge. Originally, the discussion centered on a bridge at 45th Street to connect to an Ashland bypass and US 52 in Ohio. Downtown merchants preferred a downtown bridge. And after US 60 south of Ashland to Interstate 64 was widened, this only congested traffic further on the Ben Williamson, which led to the decision to construct a parallel span in downtown.
The Simon Willis Bridge was repainted in a blue hue in 2007. Combined with the Ben Williamson's green, they comprise the city of Ashland's colors.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fsimeon-willis-bridge-13th-street%2F20120610-_dsc8364.jpg&hash=ec087dc020319561f6aa5edee4a1e99fd3602024)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fben-williamson-bridge-12th-street%2F20120610-_dsc8371.jpg&hash=f510431bde4979bb7c8b5efe28838035e6a7167b)
In nearby Ironton, Ohio is the historic OH 75 tunnel (http://bridgestunnels.com/tunnels/oh-75-tunnel). Constructed in 1866 by Dr. B.F. Cory as a way for horses and buggies to access the iron furnaces in rural Lawrence County, the tunnel was bored through sandstone and limestone. In 1915, the tunnel was enlarged by the Mahlbe Brothers to 30-feet wide and was enough to accommodate two automobile lanes.It was closed and sealed in 1960 when a four-lane bypass was constructed to the immediate west as part of the OH 93 realignment and US 52 freeway construction development.
In 1989, the tunnel was reopened by the Ironton Lions Club as a haunted tunnel.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Foh-75-tunnel%2F20120422-_dsc4364.jpg&hash=df4a25987781183cae9af08f93504deceeb8fc29)
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The Norfolk Western Railroad Osborn Run Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/norfolk-western-railroad-osborn-run-bridge) is located in Hanging Rock, Ohio and was constructed originally in 1901. In 1941, the bridge was given a concrete lining and other structural improvements.
A spur up Osborn Run once left from the bridge site to serve Hanging Rock Iron Company, but it has been long abandoned.
The bridge was converted into a roadway when the rail line was relocated further south when the US 52 freeway was constructed in 1960.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorfolk-western-railroad-osborn-run-bridge%2F20120610-_dsc8383.jpg&hash=4f894eb3d1ed94c85f67856df184f90c3750e459)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorfolk-western-railroad-osborn-run-bridge%2F20120610-_dsc8385.jpg&hash=d38a6a00f1376f7b87eb32f462886e9876ba9e85)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorfolk-western-railroad-osborn-run-bridge%2F20120610-_dsc8386.jpg&hash=eaaf6921d426abdbf24c19e3e5005d3ba4fa327a)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorfolk-western-railroad-osborn-run-bridge%2F20120610-_dsc8387.jpg&hash=76064aa7a28e8d9ca77f9cc3e8fecd9929cdf061)
The Norfolk Western Railroad Little Scioto River Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/norfolk-western-railroad-little-scioto-river-bridge) is a Baltimore Warren through truss over the Little Scioto River. Paralleling it is the US 52 freeway, which was completed in 1964. Because of dimming light, I was not able to hike over to the bridge - that is for another day.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorfolk-western-railroad-little-scioto-river-bridge%2F20120610-_dsc8391.jpg&hash=25022c327c8ac0a4e3ad81dc81db0fc010cef020)
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Bridge over the Ohio River (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/chesapeake-ohio-railroad-sciotoville-ohio-river-bridge) between Limeville, Kentucky and Sciotoville, Ohio was constructed from 1914 to 1917 by the McClintick-Marshall Construction Company. The structurally massive railroad bridge was designed by two famous American Civil Engineers, Gustav Lindenthal, D.Sc., the Consulting Engineer and David Barnard Steinman, D.Sc., the designer and stress analyst. It was the longest continuous truss bridge in the world until 1935 and is still the prototype for continuous trusses today. I covered the history behind it in an earlier post (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/05/18/chesapeake-and-ohios-sciotoville-bridge).
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fchesapeake-ohio-railroad-sciotoville-ohio-river-bridge%2F20120610-_dsc8401.jpg&hash=065158f64bd5570391148b304b35fc6194da3d26)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fchesapeake-ohio-railroad-sciotoville-ohio-river-bridge%2F20120610-_dsc8410.jpg&hash=9c57b0d1edf6cabd6f581283acc635903437bc9b)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fchesapeake-ohio-railroad-sciotoville-ohio-river-bridge%2F20120610-_dsc8429.jpg&hash=50319a1d3751c1cf416c28e6d9dc53ede9f7efb9)
The Gallia Pike Little Scioto River Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/gallia-pike-little-scioto-river-bridge) was constructed in 1926-1927 and carried US 52 until 1964 when the adjoining freeway was completed through Sciotoville. The span was rehabilitated in 1993.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fgallia-pike-little-scioto-river-bridge%2F20120610-_dsc8398.jpg&hash=ec4d77035635c995ba500a36967229e295acf8e3)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fgallia-pike-little-scioto-river-bridge%2F20120610-_dsc8418.jpg&hash=fea20476e1b4b3474b9c428a4a285b82bd8436cb)
Remnants of the pre-1926 bridge are still visible, such as the stone abutments and old roadway alignment.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fgallia-pike-little-scioto-river-bridge%2F20120610-_dsc8421.jpg&hash=68efadd2c04f91293a0a711842b897240f30bd60)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fgallia-pike-little-scioto-river-bridge%2F20120610-_dsc8413.jpg&hash=f192b8fd04dfdc6adbbfee42a1fded07ed99ad3f)
Not much can be said about the John A. Roebling Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/john-a-roebling-suspension-bridge) other than it was constructed from 1856 to 1866, and was used as a model for Roebling's next project, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. I used the advantages of evening light to capture three new photographs of this historic suspension span.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjohn-a-roebling-suspension-bridge%2F20120520-_dsc7213.jpg&hash=548e7bbdde7595bd0bf84d86af4101fdf5699568)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjohn-a-roebling-suspension-bridge%2F20120205-_dsc9345.jpg&hash=16f8430e6ba9f75e5cf1d992d630d6daf2b6f629)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjohn-a-roebling-suspension-bridge%2F20120205-_dsc9366.jpg&hash=7c4537102ea3f0f8a965ba19dc625679ffd7699f)
The Clark Memorial Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/clark-memorial-bridge-us-31) carries US 31 over the Ohio River between Louisville and New Albany, Indiana. Design work for the bridge began in September 1926 after much delay, and construction on the four-lane cantilever began in June 1928. It was finished in October 1929 and was tolled until 1946.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fclark-memorial-bridge-us-31%2F20120408-_dsc3303.jpg&hash=438a9da08173a5738dbfd6551af95a683d1c0e53)
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I end with the Fourteenth Street Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/pennsylvania-railroad-fourteenth-street-ohio-river-bridge), which connects Louisville to Clarksville, Indiana.
The first proposal for crossing of the Ohio at Louisville came early, when James Guthrie formed the Ohio Bridge Company to construct a bridge in 1829. An architect from New England, Ithiel Town, was hired to design a wooden bridge, and a cornerstone was laid in 1836 by Twelfth Street in Louisville. The Panic of 1837 stopped further work, and additional capital could not be secured. An additional attempt was made in the 1850s, but the project was thereafter known as "Guthrie's Folly."
In the 1860s, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N) and the Jeffersonville and Indianapolis Railroad (J&I) both desired a railroad crossing over the Ohio River. On February 17, 1865, the United States Congress authorized the construction of a bridge at Louisville, as there were no bridges across the Ohio River at Cincinnati or any place westward. The L&N financed the Louisville Bridge Company, and work on the new bridge began on August 1, 1867. Albert Fink served as architect and used his patented Fink truss design for the project. The design called for a minimum span length of 330 feet and one track. Stone for the piers was sourced from Bardstown Junction, Kentucky and Utica, Indiana.
At the time of its completion on February 12, 1870, the L&N Fourteenth Street Bridge was the longest iron bridge in the United States, featuring 27 spans over one mile. The bridge also included a swing span. Span lengths varied from 352 feet to 380 feet, and was high enough so that steamboats could make their way underneath via the Portland Canal. The height was so high that it added $150,000 to the construction cost, which totalled $2,003,696.27. Unfortunately, 56 men were killed and 80 injured during the construction process.
The Pennsylvania Railroad purchased the L&N's 60% ownership of the bridge, and commanded control of the crossing in the mid-1870s after acquiring the J&I tracks between Jeffersonville and Indianapolis. By 1882, the Pennsylvania Bridge was used up to 150 times per day, with communications controlled by semaphore. But by the 1900s, the bridge was being stressed - with 300 trains running on the bridge per day. Between May 1916 and January 1919, a new single-track steel superstructure was installed on the old stone piers. One pier on the Indiana side was removed, and that span length was increased to 643.10 feet in length which improved river navigation. A lift span replaced the swing span above the canal.
In 1968, the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad merged to become Penn Central. Eight years later, it was placed under Conrail. The Louisville and Indiana Railroad purchased the Jeffersonville to Indianapolis line and bridge from Conrail in March 1994.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcsx-fourteenth-street-ohio-river-bridge%2F20120408-_dsc3349.jpg&hash=63b47f71f8540cc7338adb4b204cf8985765a2a0)
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Southern Ohio is rife with historic bridges, both metal and wooden, and coupled with its rolling topography set amongst family farms and small towns, makes for picturesque drives and settings.
As a child, I remember being driven along US 52 along the Ohio River west of Portsmouth. The Higginsport Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/higginsport-bridge-formerly-us-52/) is one of my memories of that drive, having been located on the A&P Highway, or US 52, in Higginsport that crosses White Oak Creek. The one-lane Whipple through truss was bypassed in 1943.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fhigginsport-bridge-old-us-52%2F20081101-20081101-dsc_3763.jpg&hash=167ed7e8344e8fb8f4606fdd537eebbdc42dd531)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fhigginsport-bridge-old-us-52%2F20090816-_dsc5222.jpg&hash=979a04cef9d87a91bdfbef9b500204bd4f39427a)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fhigginsport-bridge-old-us-52%2F20120704-_dsc0874.jpg&hash=4bd28dee8e83304f6f0974c976b5a2762feef3bd)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fhigginsport-bridge-old-us-52%2F20120704-_dsc0876.jpg&hash=211a3012f973cee617e9ad9119ef24370ba9c686)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fhigginsport-bridge-old-us-52%2F20120704-_dsc0875.jpg&hash=8919a4bd991180a7b6b4ef675abf83253dd26533)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fhigginsport-bridge-old-us-52%2F20120704-_dsc0877.jpg&hash=b9ba7cdedd180d10f367b4bdd4e006a155ff8ddd)
The New Hope Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/new-hope-bridge-old-us-68/) carried US 68 across White Oak Creek in New Hope. Constructed in 1884 by the Lomas Forge and Bridge Works of Cincinnati, Ohio, the Whipple through truss was bypassed in 1960 with a new two-lane alignment. The deck on this span is in a state of serious deterioration, and the floor beams have to an extent rusted through.
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Close to the abandoned New Hope Bridge is the New Hope Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/new-hope-covered-bridge/), which remains open to pedestrians and is in excellent condition. The New Hope Covered Bridge is a covered Howe truss with an arch that was built in 1878 by Josiah Bryant. It was bypassed in 1978 with a modern two-lane crossing.
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Nearby was the Brown Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/brown-covered-bridge/), constructed in 1878, is located north-northeast of New Hope, Ohio along New Hope-White Oak Station Road, and is a Smith covered truss. The span was constructed by the Smith Bridge Company of Toledo. More photographs coming soon - I was not able to cross the span due to a police officer sitting in his cruiser on the other end.
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The McCafferty Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/mccafferty-covered-bridge/) is located southwest of Fayetteville, Ohio on McCafferty Road, and was constructed in 1877 as a Howe covered truss over the East Fork Little Miami River. The span was last rehabilitated in 1963. The rural farm scene at the other end in Brown County is typical for southern Ohio - family farms, a decent amount of Amish, one-lane back roads and small towns make up for quite a diverse region.
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Cleveland's Innerbelt Freeway and Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/07/24/clevelands-innerbelt-freeway-and-bridge/)
There is not a freeway more divisive than Cleveland, Ohio's Innerbelt Freeway. Originally referred to as US 42, it was envisioned in 1940 as a method to divert through traffic from a congested downtown, and to connect the Lake Erie-bordering Shoreway with the proposed Willow Freeway and Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport. Planning for the Innerbelt began in 1944, when a freeway was proposed from the East 30th Street — Shoreway area to Abbey Avenue and West 14th Street on the near west side.
Right-of-way purchases for the 3.24-mile, 110-acre highway cost $22.5 million and consumed 1,250 parcels of land, and it was then estimated that the entire project would total $75 million. Financing was 90% sourced from the federal government, 5% from the city of Cleveland and 5% from the state. The Superior Avenue to Shoreway segment, planned for construction in 1956, was projected to cost $14 million. The East 30th Street to Superior Avenue section, with six underpasses, was set for a 1957 start and cost $12 million. The interchanges was projected to cost $1 million for the right-of-way and $50,000 for engineering.
Construction on the centerpiece, an eight-lane bridge over the Cuyahoga River (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/innerbelt-bridge-interstate-90), located south of the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge, began on December 12, 1954. Construction on the abutments and approach piers began first, costing an estimated $6 million.(20) The 4,233-foot cantilever truss bridge, estimated to cost $9.5 million, along with the $7 million approach superstructure, was opened to traffic on August 18, 1959. The total cost was $26,066,000 and the bridge , consisting of 7,000 individual steel beams, was the widest and biggest in the state.
Below: The Innerbelt Bridge under construction, July 24, 1956. Donated by Joseph E. Cole to the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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Below: The Innerbelt Bridge under construction, July 17, 1957. Donated by Joseph E. Cole to the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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Below: The Innerbelt Bridge under construction, July 16, 1957. Donated by Joseph E. Cole to the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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Below: The Innerbelt Freeway at the future Willow Freeway and the approach to the Innerbelt Bridge, photographed August 3, 1959 by Frank Aleksandrowicz. Donated by Joseph E. Cole to the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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Below: Donated by Sara Ruth Watson to the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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The next segment of the Innerbelt to be completed opened on December 17, 1959 that ran from the Shoreway south to Chester Avenue near East 24th Street. The central section, connecting the shoreway to the Innerbelt Bridge and to the Willow Freeway, began in late-1959 and was not opened until December 5, 1961 due to complex land-acquisition issues. It took until August 1 of 1962 to open all 37 highway ramps that led to and from the freeway.
Below: The Chester Avenue interchange, photographed December 16, 1959 by Herman Seid. Donated by Joseph E. Cole to the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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Below: The Innerbelt Freeway in 1960. Donated by Joseph E. Cole to the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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Below: The central section of the freeway at Willow, photographed March 13, 1961. Donated by Joseph E. Cole to the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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The presence of the Innerbelt and the Cuyahoga River crossing was vital to the completion of Interstates 71, 77 and 90. The Willow Freeway was completed in 1966 and was numbered Interstate 77 seven years later.
Below: The Willow Freeway junctioning the Innerbelt Freeway, photographed on October 3, 1963 by Bernie Noble. Donated by Joseph E. Cole to the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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In July 1983, a $6.1 million project to add an 1,500-foot acceleration lane to the West 14th Street ramp was begun by the Horvitz Company of Valley View. Work was scheduled to be completed by June 30, 1985. The company was also the successful bidder to install a new latex concrete deck over the existing concrete pavement by July of 1984 at a cost of $2.4 million.
But years of pounding traffic, deterioration from salt and other de-icing agents and general fatigue took its toll on the Innerbelt Bridge. After a 3-D computerized image was produced of the trusses in November 2008, all commercial truck traffic was prohibited from the crossing. Various chords were discovered to be under extreme stress and could no longer support a full load of traffic. Due to the span's fracture-critical design, if a chord failed, the entire bridge could collapse - similar to the Interstate 35W bridge failure over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota that occurred just a year prior. The discovery of the weaknesses led the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to scrap a $240 million rehabilitation project, which would have extended the lifespan of the span for another 30 years.
Immediately afterward, ODOT closed the outer lanes to reduce the weight on the chords. A day later, two more lanes were closed to traffic. Two lanes in each direction were closed from September 1 to November 13, 2009 to facilitate $10 million in repairs, and on November 25, ODOT reopened all of the lanes and permitted trucks to use the westbound Innerbelt Bridge. Steel plates were used to reinforced the chords. In addition, the West 14th Street acceleration lane was removed as it added undue weight and stress to the cantilever trusses.
By mid-2010, trucks were allowed to use the eastbound lanes.
The need to replace the Innerbelt Bridge also hemmed not just on safety, but on functionality. The freeway had numerous design deficiencies, including improper reduction in the basic number of traffic lanes, poor ramp configurations and spacing, inadequate curve radii and minimal shoulder width. The bridge also had a very high crash rate. As a result, ODOT announced plans to construct a new westbound Innerbelt Bridge in March 2009, utilizing federal transportation stimulus funds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
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The new westbound bridge would be financed with $85 million federal transportation stimulus funds via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and $200 million in federal funds. It is expected to cost $287.4 million. Several alternatives were consisted, narrowed down to Alternative A and B.
Alternative A entailed the construction of new 35 mainline, ramp and overhead bridges, 16 mainline and ramp deck replacements, and provide three through-lanes in each direction within the trench and five lanes in each direction across the bridge. A new bridge north of the existing viaduct would carry westbound traffic, and have a main span length of 800 feet, with 1,028 feet of structure on the west approach and 3,371 feet on the east approach. The eastbound bridge, built in the alignment of the existing viaduct, would have a main span length of 800 feet, with 1,226 feet of structure on the west approach and 3,053 feet on on the east approach.
Alternative B was nearly identical, but on a more southern alignment. It would include a new eastbound bridge with a 900-foot main span length, 1,043 feet of structure on the west approach and 3,061 feet on the east approach. The westbound bridge, which would be built on the alignment of the existing viaduct, would feature a main span of 800 feet, with 1,226 feet of structure on the west approach and 3,053 feet on the east approach.
Both approaches reduced the number of design deficiencies from 131 to just six. Alternative A impacted three historic structures that were determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. With the alternative, all three would be removed. Alternative B would require two historic structures be removed, in addition of two residences — one contributing, the other not, within the Tremont National Register Historic District. It would also affect access and and have proximity impacts to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Chruch.
A Record of Decision was issued in favor of Alternative A on September 18, 2009 for the replacement of the Innerbelt Bridge as part of the Innerbelt Freeway reconstruction in Cleveland. The new bridge consisted of a steel delta frame design, with a number of long spans and very tall piers. Initial plans called for an opening of the eastbound span in 2017, although this was revised to 2023-2026 in an early 2012 project funding list from ODOT. A revision later in the year set the opening between 2016 and 2019.
Below: A rendering of the new Innerbelt Bridges by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
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In September 2010, the project was awarded to Walsh Construction and designer HNTB Ohio Inc. for $287.4 million. The project is being performed using the design-build process, where the design and construction are combined in a single contract, shaving off nearly a year in the design and construction timeline. Construction of a westbound span began on March 30, 2011, with a ceremonial groundbreaking on May 2. The future westbound bridge was named after George V. Voinovich on September 15, and is projected to be complete on October 28, 2013.
Below: Photographs of the construction process over the summer of 2012.
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Cleveland's "Bridge War" and the Columbus Street Span (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/07/27/clevelands-bridge-war-and-the-columbus-street-span/)
Cleveland, Ohio's early transportation issues arose from its prominence along Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River. While the latter was narrow with numerous sharp bends, it was sufficient to allow for the development of heavy industry along the sometimes wide and expanse valley. The means to cross the river in the early days were regulated to ferries, and it was not until the early 1800s that the first crossing of the river was completed along Central Street - a simple connection of chained, floating logs. It was later improved upon with pontoon boats.
The first real bridge came in 1835, when a wooden span was completed along Columbus Street across the Cuyahoga River (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/columbus-road-bridge/) at a cost of $15,000. It was a draw bridge to allow for the passage of boats underneath, and was financed by a group of real-estate speculators led by Jas S. Clark who were developing Cleveland Center, a commercial district at the oxbow bend in the Flats. The Columbus Street Bridge allowed for the commercial development of Cleveland at the expense of the then-independent Ohio City.
The bridge was donated to the city of Cleveland on April 18, 1836 - which Ohio City did not take too kindly. To make matters worse, Cleveland demolished a portion of the Central Street bridge in June so that commerce would be forced to use Columbus Street and bypass Ohio City. In return, residents of Ohio City banded together, changing "Two Bridges or None." A group attempted to blow up the Columbus Street span but failed. A mob on October 31, armed with guns and other improvised weapons, damaged the crossing but they were met with resistance from Cleveland Mayor John W. Willey and armed militiamen who injured three Ohio City men. A county sheriff arrived to end the violence and to make arrests. It took a court ruling to force two bridges across the Cuyahoga River.
The next iteration of the bridge came on February 24, 1857 when the city awarded a contract to the Tharcher, Burt & Co. for a Howard Model swing bridge, which had a predicted lifespan of nine to ten years. The estimated cost, $24,000, was split between the county, $6,000, and the city, $18,000, with a completion date of August 1858. But construction was slow, as noted by numerous complaints from residents and property owners nearby. By August 1857, only the northern abutment was finished, with little work progressing on the southern abutment. But the new span did not last; an 1863 inspection noted a large amount of structural deterioration and that it would need to be completely rebuilt. The chords, which supported the bridge, had been placed in a horizontal position which did not leave any room for water to drip out between the layers of plank. On August 7, 1863, one of the chords broke, and a chain was improvised for temporary use. This did not last very long, however, as the remainder of the chords broke when the bridge was swung open a day later at 4:30 PM. As a result, the entire bridge collapsed. While the pier was in good condition, the only item salvageable was the trusses and some of the wood work.
On August 15, 1894, the Columbus Street Bridge was closed to traffic and dismantled for replacement with a double-swing bridge — the first in the world. A contract was awarded to the Mt. Vernon Bridge Company of Ohio to construct the superstructure on October 13, despite the protest of Architect James Ritchie who bid $2,160 higher. The Cleveland Board of Control deemed Mt. Vernon's bid to be informal, whereas Ritchie's was properly submitted, in a meeting held on October 5. The foundation and substructure was awarded to Fisher & Fisher and electrical work to George P. Nichols & Bros. of Chicago. During construction, a temporary pontoon bridge was built after piles were driven into the river and planking laid on top. Stairways led down to the primitive bridge, which extended only half way across the Cuyahoga. A barge, 80 feet in length, completed the crossing. It was pivoted on a pile and swung by a capstan. The temporary crossing opened on August 14, 1894. The new Columbus Street crossing opened to traffic on June 25, 1895, operated by two 25 horsepower dynamos. The bridge design separates in the center, and the two parts swing in opposite directions. The span cost $100,000 to construct.
In May 1939, a public hearing was held in regards to an application by the city for approval by council of plans to construct a new bridge for Columbus Road over the Cuyahoga River as part of the Streamlining Project that sought to eliminate several dangerous curves for boats and to widen the navigation channel. The Columbus Road span, designed by famed Cleveland engineer Wilbur Watson, was a part of the $5.5 million streamlining project that saw the completion of three new lift bridges over the Cuyahoga River.
The northern pier was completed on December 6, 1939, although work was slow to progress on the southern pier due to weather, and a $50-per-day penalty was charged against the Western Foundation Company. While their portion of the project was to have been completed by December 31, 1939, it was not finished until January 18 of the next year. The City Council introduced legislation on March 4 to waive the penalties, citing weather and elements that were out of their control which led to the delay. The Columbus Road span opened two weeks ahead of schedule in 1940, although without paint; the others, the upper West 3rd Street Bridge and Carter Road Bridge, opened on schedule and two weeks behind schedule, respectfully. The bridges were painted soon after the spans were open to traffic; the painting was delayed due to a wet spring. The new crossing provided a 220-foot wide channel and gentler curves, whereas the 1895 swing span provided just 108-feet. This allowed for larger boats to pass through on the Cuyahoga River.
Below: Columbus Road was used as a detour route when the Detroit-Superior Bridge underwent reconstruction in 1967. Photographed March 21, 1967 by Bill Nehez, donated by Joseph E. Cole to the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library, Special Collections.
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Below: A view of the west side of the bridge. From Louise Taft Cawood, photographed in July 1986 for the Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
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Below: A view of the south lift tower from the moveable span catwalk while the bridge is in the down position. From Louise Taft Cawood, photographed in July 1986 for the Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
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Below: A northward view of the catwalk of the moveable span in the up position. From Louise Taft Cawood, photographed in July 1986 for the Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
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Below: A view of the moveable span trussing. From Louise Taft Cawood, photographed in July 1986 for the Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
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Below: An interior glance of the main lift cable sheave inside the machinery room. From Louise Taft Cawood, photographed in July 1986 for the Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
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Below: Cable and pulley details of the lift mechanism. From Louise Taft Cawood, photographed in July 1986 for the Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
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Unfortunately, the bridge was ill-maintained in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. A 2002 inspection noted that many of the electrical and mechanical systems were failing, and that structurally, the span was in poor condition. A follow-up inspection in 2007 noted little to no improvement in the bridge. A replacement bridge was pegged at $31 million. In the follow-up, it noted that if the bridge had been properly maintained, a replacement would not even be a consideration. Construction of a $42 million to $49 million partial replacement project for the Columbus Road Bridge was scheduled to begin in November 2011 and take about a year finish. The Ohio Department of Transportation will allocate $25,200,000 in local major bridge program funds, with Cuyahoga County and the city providing $8.4 million. Another $8.4 million is being requested from the Surface Transportation Program (STP). The 1940 iteration of the span was rated in poor to serious condition, and a study of six alternatives — on either rehabilitating the existing span, building a new bridge upstream or eliminating the crossing was performed. It was decided to do a partial reconstruction.
During the reconstruction project, the central lift span will be removed, placed on a barge and moved down to the Cuyahoga River to be dismantled off-site. Another barge will come up the river with a new lift span. The two lift towers will be repaired, and new mechanical and electrical equipment will be installed. Five-foot bike lanes will be installed, as the route was indicated to be a critical bicycle route into and out of the Flats. During the project, the roadway will be closed to traffic.
Below: Before and after. The before image credit: From Louise Taft Cawood, photographed in July 1986 for the Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, Department of the Interior. The after photograph was taken in the summer of 2012.
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Below: Other views of the span from the summer of 2012.
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Cleveland's Detroit-Superior Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/08/14/clevelands-detroit-superior-bridge/)The Detroit-Superior Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/detroit-superior-bridge/) is a 3,112-foot through arch crossing over the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, connecting Detroit Avenue in the west side to Superior Avenue in downtown. In function, it replaced the aging Superior viaduct that was dedicated December 27, 1878.
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The first proposal for a high-level bridge across the Cuyahoga River was brought up in the early 1900s as a way to alleviate congestion on the existing Superior Viaduct. City engineer William J. Carter favored the construction of a bridge from Superior Avenue to Franklin Avenue — the Lorain-Huron site, and the diverting of the present Superior Viaduct to serve as a connection between Detroit Avenue and St. Clair Avenue. A government engineer replied that a high level bridge was not necessary if a ban on high masts on lake vessels was enforced, believing that the masts were used mostly for derrick purposes and did not need to be so high.
The first bond issue, in the sum of $2 million, for a high-level bridge along the Superior Avenue route was held in 1905 and was passed 25,695 to 10,972. But it was found that the ordinance was not properly advertised and the vote was declared invalid. The location of the bridge was then questioned, with some advocating for a span from Lorain to Huron Avenue, and the proposition was submitted twice more, each time being defeated.
In February 1908, Mayor Johnson stated that a high level bridge built exclusively for streetcars would be one of the connecting links between the west and east sides but did not believe that it would serve as an immediate solution of the problem, which was the rebuilding of the Superior Viaduct into a high-level span for cars. Detailed estimates were prepared but the ability to pay for the bridge was in question. An idea to shift the burden of construction to the county was discussed, which would allow the county to hold a general bond issue that would require a simple 50% majority vote - unlike the city issue that required a two-thirds majority. But a county bond issue ultimately failed later that year.
A final route was decided upon in July 1910 along the Detroit - Superior alignment, but it was immediately opposed by various groups that it would be a duplicate of two existing bridges. An injunction was filed but dismissed, as were the subsequent appeals. In early February 1909, Assistant City Solicitor Wilkin proposed to let a bond of $2.5 million for a high level bridge. City councilman Schwartzer believed that it would be met with favor since the city was reluctant to spend over a million dollars to repair the existing viaducts.
Plans for a high level bridge to replace the Superior Bridge were submitted on March 30. The estimated cost of a high level span would be $1,374,779, and if the cost would be significantly over, the bond issue could be safely revoked.The proposed crossing would be erected just north of the present Superior Viaduct, and consist of numerous steel arches incased in concrete with columns extending from the arches to the floor, also of steel incased in concrete. The river crossing would be a steel arch with a span of 300 feet, allowing for a channel of 250 feet and a clearance of 93 feet. The bridge deck would be 58 feet wide with two 9.5 foot sidewalks.
The bond issue for the Superior Viaduct replacement failed, 17,992 for and 20,898 against.
A tentative plan and profile for a steel bridge across the Cuyahoga River valley was prepared by architect and engineer John Eisenmann in January 1910. The proposed span would connect Superior Avenue and Detroit Avenue, requiring the condemnation of the Atwater Building at Columbus Road and Superior Avenue just south of the present entrance to the Superior Viaduct. The bridge would proceed westward and swing to the south and reach the west side of the river directly over a portion of Detroit Avenue that descended to the river. It would require the condemnation of several structures at West 25th Street and Detroit Avenue, with a western terminus at a traffic circle. In August, Mayor Johnson proposed a committee of six, composed of representatives of four of the leading civic organizations, to prepare a report on the replacement viaduct over the Cuyahoga River.
A report by the High Level Bridge Commission in June recommended that the Superior Viaduct be sold to the Cleveland Railway Company for the exclusive use by streetcars. According to their plan, Superior Avenue and Detroit Avenue would be linked by a new high level bridge designed for automobiles and pedestrians. The Commission recommended that the new bridge start at Detroit Avenue at the crest of a hill, cross the Cuyahoga River in a northeast direction, go over the Commercial Milling Company's mill, turn to follow Merwin Avenue to James Avenue where it would proceed east, cross the Erie railroad and depot, and connect to Superior Avenue at the Atwater Building. The Commission also recommended that the Superior Viaduct be rebuilt as a high level bridge to carry four streetcar tracks.
If only one bridge could be feasibly constructed, the Commission urged that the Superior Viaduct be rebuilt. To pay for the span, the county proposed a tax on all taxable property in the county. On November 8, the county bridge issue was carried by a majority vote — 33,957 for and 17,938 against.
On January 3, 1911, the county chose the location of the new Detroit-Superior Bridge after a conference with representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Industry, Builders Exchange, Federation of Labor and the city. Every major business interest was in favor of a Detroit-Superior route sans the Chamber of Commerce, who preferred a Superior-Detroit route, stating that it would parallel existing facilities and be an unnecessary financial burden. The Chamber desired a bridge midway between the Superior and Central Viaducts.
The new bridge was proposed to be 3,150 feet long with a width that varied from 81.6 feet at center to 94.9 feet at the approaches, with a right-of-way of 120 feet. A ten-foot buffer would be cleared to prevent business owners from constructing structures and gain access to the span other than the approaches. The center span over the Cuyahoga River was also proposed to be a 665-foot cantilever truss. The bridge was designed with three concrete arches west of the river and nine east of the river, the longest with a clear span of 174 feet, the shortest at 58 feet. Each concrete arch had four arch ribs to support the beam and slab streetcar deck on heavy spandrel columns, spaced 10 feet apart on center. The spandrel columns continued above the lower deck to support the roadway, also of beam and slab construction. Arch no. 12, between piers no. 11 and no. 12, required a different design due to its travel over the Big Four Railroad. Instead of centering, which would interfere with the railroad, a high rise curve using three hinged steel arches for both the erection and reinforcement was used.
The ratification of the site was made on February 4 in a public meeting at the courthouse. One of the only opponents of the bridge was the Walton Realty Company, owner of a 120-foot strip of land that was in the path of the new bridge. The Lake Shore Railway also voiced concern that the viaduct would prevent the construction of a large joint warehouse which had been proposed along the river for the Big Four and Baltimore & Ohio Railroads.
On February 29, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed off on the bridge. On March 23, the first contract was awarded for test bearings, and the first bridge bonds were put on sale on June 28. A commission to appraise property included within the right-of-way was appointed on July 1. On May 4, 1912, a contract was awarded to the O'Rourke Engineering and Construction Company for the construction of two main piers. The bridge would be built under the direction of W.A. Stinchcomb and A.W. Zesiger, and K.D. Cowen, engineer of construction.
The Chamber of Commerce desired the streetcar tracks on the upper level and automobiles and pedestrians on the lower level, and to eliminate one pier that would prevent a planned improvement of the Cuyahoga River to remove a bend, according to comments they made in September 1913. It also requested that the bridge be raised even higher, which was at present 83 feet over the channel. The Chamber also criticized the change from caisson to cofferdam construction. The county was opposed to the modification of the design of the bridge, but was open to the idea of removing a pier.
Work on the Detroit-Superior Bridge was scheduled to progress without the construction of subways along Detroit Avenue and West 25th Street on the west side of the Cuyahoga, and in Superior Avenue around Public Square on the east side. The subways were suggested to connect into the bridge as a way to avoid congestion at the terminals of the bridge. But people on the west side of the bridge were regarded as "hostile" when the discussion of subways was brought up that the matter was dropped. The main opposition was on the ground property valuations of real estate in the vicinity of Detroit Avenue and West 25th Street that would depreciate due to the distance from the subway station, according to property owners. The entrance on Detroit Avenue would be at the corner of West 29th Street and that on West 25th Street would be near Church Avenue. The property owners urged the bridge to be completed as originally planned, as did W.J. Hunkin of the Hunkin-Conkey Construction Company. The money saved could be used for another high level bridge, they stated. But the company was instructed to sink the foundations deep enough at the ends of the bridge to permit the building of the subways in later years.
Construction on the arches began by the King Bridge Company in the fall of 1912. A report on January 22, 1913 reported that excavation for the east river pier had been completed and that the bottom was being leveled for concrete. By November 1, 1913 work started on two caisson piers on the west side of the river and seven concrete pile piers on the east side. Construction was expedited at a cost of $2,500 to the county, and additional machinery and workers were brought in to allow for the erection of six of the secondary piers at once instead of four.
By July 18, 1914, the caisson construction for piers no. 1 and 2 was underway, and excavation for pier no. 3 had started. Piers no. 4 and 9 were complete, and concrete piles had been driven for pier no. 5. Test piles for pier no. 8 were down and concrete piles were about to be driven. That work was nearly completed by December 11, 1914, nearly half of the time required.
It was originally intended that the sequence of work begin on the easterly end of the steel span and proceed eastward, however, it could not be done because the erection of the center span across the river was already started by the King Bridge Company, who had subcontracted its erection to the Ferro Construction Company of Chicago. in conjunction with the completion of the arch ribs by Hunkin-Conkey. It was decided to work with the second arch east of the steel span, between Piers 5 and 6, and progress eastward. This would produce considerable strain on Pier 5, but it was predicted that the soil pressure was safe within limits.
In the winter of 1915, one rib of a 145-foot concrete arch span cracked and was discovered on May 1, 1916. An examination of the crack found that water had intruded and froze, most likely during the pouring. An excess of water in the concrete may have been the cause, and the material, improperly worked, could not shed the water. It was not a tension crack as there was no tension at that point. The span, which was poured on May 27, 1915, was connected to Pier 5 that was being watched for any horizontal or tipping movement. Only the arch ribs were built between Piers 5 and 6, and the arch ribs and first floor between Piers 6 and 7, which increased the load further on Pier 5. It was discovered that Pier 5 was moving westward due to an unbalanced load on the pier, and advanced so much as to threaten the structural stability of the uncompleted bridge. It was at this point that King Bridge had lowered the steel arch into place and had released the backstays that extended from Pier 4 to Pier 5. The lower chords of those stays consisted of lattice girders, and it was decided to use those girders as struts between Piers 4 and 5 to prevent any further movement of Pier 5.
Pier 6 was also shifting with Pier 5. But the first floor on the arches between Piers 5 and 6 proceeded, which increased the load on the arches and evened out the load, leading to no further movement of Pier 5; Pier 6 began to move eastward.
Below: Construction progress, photograph taken by Hunkin-Conkey Construction Co., October 25, 1916. A portion of arch no. 12 can be seen.
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A saw mill and framing yard was built to construct the forms for the arches, with materials transported via the cableways. The east span was built with the use of a double cableway with a span between the towers measuring 1,200 feet. The steel towers were 130 feet and 180 feet high, and the main cable was 2.5 inches in diameter. Each cableway could hold eight tons, but in emergencies could hold 12.5 tons. Materials for the west approach were hauled via the Cuyahoga River, and then hauled up a 12% grade along Detroit Avenue to the hill on the west end of the site via motor trucks that were then novelties.
By the spring of 1915, the west approach was nearly completed. Construction then proceeded on the 90-foot steel towers for the center Pratt truss. The towers were built with the aid of a gin pole, which was then dismantled and used for the identical east tower. Eyebar backstays held the half-arches in place until they were joined in the center. Work then started on the center truss, comprised of nickel and carbon steel, over the river on July 29 and was completed on October 8. On that day, the two arms were lowered beginning at 10:30 AM, and the arch was closed at 2:23 PM after a two-hour intermission. There was a gap of 1/8-inch, which was adjusted via a cable.
The plan to construct inclines for the streetcars to approach grade-level from the bridge was abandoned in February 1916 after the city planning commission agreed on plans to construct a subway, several hundred feet in length at each approach, to reduce interference with automobile traffic. On the east side, the subway continued for 185 feet to a point on Superior Avenue at West 9th Street. On the west side, one subway continued west under Detroit Avenue to West 28th Street for 725 feet, and another south beneath West 25th Street to Church Avenue for 560 feet.
Below: The subway entrance along Superior Avenue. Photograph by Office of the Cuyahoga County Engineer.
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Four pedestrian entrances were located at Detroit Avenue and West 25th Street — one located in the Forest City Building on the southwest corner, and one on the south side of Superior Avenue at the bridge's east approach. The stations above ground were built as small, wood-framed buildings with hipped roofs. Below ground, they featured white glazed tile walls with recessed lighting, a waiting area, boarding platform and public toilets. Tunnels under the tracks at both stations gave access to east-, west- and south-bound trains.
Below: Photograph by Office of the Cuyahoga County Engineer.
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By December 22, 1917, the lower deck was nearly prepared for regular streetcar use. Work cars were running on the bridge conducting final preparations for regular use by Christmas.
The Detroit-Superior Bridge was dedicated for traffic on Thanksgiving Day 1917 at a cost of $5,407,000 million. No ceremony was held as it was during wartime. The first streetcar crossed on Christmas eve, carrying 50 prominent officials, including the Cleveland mayor. The car left the West 25th Street station and headed east shortly before 4 PM. The mayor proclaimed that Cleveland was "getting more and more like New York."
The completion of the span marked the first fixed high-level crossing, and the third high level span across the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland. It was the largest steel and concrete reinforced bridge in the world and led to a real estate boom in Cleveland's west side and Lakewood.
CONT.
By 1927, there was a proposal to pave and use a portion of the streetcar track on the lower level for automobile use. Automobiles had grown in popularity and in response, county bridge engineer Felgate stated that an unused portion of the lower deck could be converted into a roadway at a cost of $1.1 million and could accommodate 4,400 automobiles per hour. The
Cleveland Times noted that it could provide relief to the "almost hopeless traffic congestion." But no work progressed. By 1930, the Detroit-Superior Bridge carried 70,400 vehicles per day and was one of the busiest in the United States. Traffic was slightly relieved with the opening of the Lorain-Cernegie Bridge and the Main Avenue Bridge within the decade.
The construction of Bulkley Boulevard necessitated the reconfiguration of the west approach, and the wooden subway house on the northeast corner of Detroit Avenue and West 25th Street was demolished in 1939. In addition, a stairwell was relocated and a new sandstone subway house was built. But by 1946, the subway stations and the entrances at street level had become deteriorated and vandalized. A December 1953 proposal by Mayor Celebreeze called for the lower deck to be converted into an auto-only thoroughfare, but it was dismissed by county engineer Albert S. Porter as "engineered murder." A trial roadway was implemented for a short time, though, in February 1954.
Below: Southeast end of the bridge, taken by Herbert H. Harwood, Jr. of Baltimore, Maryland in January 1954.
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: A view of the lower level in mid-1978. Photograph taken by John T. "Jet" Lowe for the HAER in mid-1978.
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: A view of the bridge in the early 1950s.
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But the streetcar was not long for the city. The last "free ride" celebration from Public Square to West 65th Street and Bridge Avenue, which crossed the Detroit-Superior, was held on January 24, 1954. The last streetcar on the Detroit Avenue line had run several years prior on August 25, 1951, and the last car on the West 25th Street line had run on August 15, 1953. In May 1955, the city council passed an emergency ordnance that granted the city the right to fill in the streetcar wells. In November, the open wells were filled with gravel and paved over. The spandrel arches closest to the approaches were sealed with cinder blocks, and the stairwells to the subways were closed and covered up, with the station houses removed.
In 1965, the county hired consulting engineers to inspect and conduct a rehabilitation study of the Detroit-Superior that concluded that "because of age and corrosive atmosphere, the bridge deteriorated to the point that normal maintenance is no longer adequate and the structural stability of some members has become questionable." The upper deck slab and sidewalk had failed in some areas and been covered with steel plates. From 1967 to May 1969, the span was rehabilitated at a cost of $6 million that added to two new traffic lanes to the bridge. The width of the bridge increased from 44.9 feet to 72 feet, and the sidewalks reduced from 15 feet to 5 feet. The extra auto lanes were added by cantilevering the new lanes on the outside of the central arch. The roadway deck and sidewalk was rehabilitated, and new railings and lighting fixtures were replaced. The ornamental pylons were removed.
Below: Photographs taken by John T. "Jet" Lowe for the HAER in mid-1978.
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The Detroit-Superior Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 18, 1974. On November 11, 1989, Veterans Day, the Detroit-Superior Bridge was renamed the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
On September 9, 2002, Cuyahoga County Commissioners tentatively approved the conversion of the two outside traffic lanes added in 1969 for pedestrian and bicycle use. The converted lanes will contain a wide pedestrian promenade, sheltered seating, racks and public art. It received final approval in July 2003. The project will cost $2.7 million, with 80% of the funding coming from the federal Transportation Enhancement program, distributed by the Northeast Ohio AReawide Coordinating Agency. The city paid for the remainder. The design was paid for by a grant from The Gund and Cleveland foundations to Cleveland Public Art. Construction began in 2004 after your years of planning.
The lower level and subway stations are opened to the public for tours free of charge on certain days of the year.
Below: More recent photographs.
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A more detailed history of the planning, construction and current status of the Detroit-Superior Bridge can be found after the jump » (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/detroit-superior-bridge/)
Cuyahoga River Bridges (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/09/04/cuyahoga-river-bridges/)
The long history of the Cuyahoga River crossings in Cleveland, Ohio date back over two centuries - much of it not documented. From a "bridge war" to squabbles over financing to never-used rapid-transit levels on existing bridges, Cleveland has an astounding amount of bridges of all types - high-level viaducts, vertical lifts, swings, jackknifes and more from varying years. Below is a guide to the Cuyahoga River's bridges in order from its mouth at Lake Erie southward towards the LTV complex:
No. 1: Penn Central BridgeThe Penn-Central Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/penn-central-bridge/) crosses near the mouth of the Cuyahoga River and was constructed in 1958 at a cost of $5 million. The bridge was built with a 250-foot wide navigation channel and a lift span that could raise 98 feet. It replaced an earlier span for the former Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railway (C&P). Financing was provided by the Pennsylvania and New York Central, along with the federal government as part of the $55 million Cuyahoga River streamlining project to remove navigation obstacles and to widen the shipping channel.
Below: A Norfolk Southern train is approaching the lift span.
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The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) Whisky Island Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/baltimore-and-ohio-railroad-whisky-island-bridge) spans the old channel of the Cuyahoga. The original B&O bridge was a wing-type swing span that was constructed in 1897. It's minute size, which limited crossings to ten-ton cars, hampered the industrial growth of Whisky Island. The bridge afforded a channel width of only 140 feet, which hindered river navigation.
In September 1905, the B&O announced that a new bridge at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River would be constructed to widen the shipping channel and to remove any obstacle to river navigation. The new bridge was proposed to be a rolling lift with a clear width of 210 feet. Considered a novelty at the time, the rolling lift bridge would raise on one end into the air, supported by a counterbalance on the front end. The new span was designed by the Scherzer Rolling Lift Company under the preparations of J.E. Greiner, Chief Engineer.
The railroad made available $180,000 towards the construction. It was part of a major construction project along the Newcastle division, which included constructing cut-offs, straightening and lowering the grade, and double-tracking to improve reliability of service and to increase track speeds. In addition, $1.75 million was spent towards the construction of a new low grade from Lodi to Sullivan, and a second track from Sullivan to Nova, a distance of 25.5 miles. With the double tracking, the B&O line was improved from Pittsburg to Hamler. Originally, it was contemplated to only double track the existing line between Sterling to Lodi at a cost of $1.25 million, but increased business necessitated further improvements.
The steel was fabricated by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland and erected by the Pittsburgh Construction Company. When it was completed in 1907, the bridge afforded a 230-foot span with a clear channel width of 210 feet and was the longest single-leaf Scherzer ever constructed, a feat never improved upon. In 1949, the Chamber of Commerce backed a study at the request of Cleveland's industrial and business interests to construct a lift span for the B&O. The estimated cost of such a bridge would be $4,250,000. It was never completed.
Below: The Whiskey Island Bridge is located behind the Main Avenue bridge in a raised position.
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The Willow Avenue Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/willow-avenue-bridge) is a lift span that crosses the old channel of the Cuyahoga. It is the largest such bridge along the river.
The first iteration of the crossing was a swing span with a main span of 170 feet that was constructed in 1898. The first mention of a replacement span came in 1949 when the Chamber of Commerce backed a study at the request of Cleveland's industrial and business interests to construct a lift span. The estimated cost of such a bridge was $3.2 million.
A vertical lift bridge was designed by Trygve Hoff and Associates with a main span length of 320 feet, and a rise of 98 feet that can be completed in just 1.5 minutes. The first authorization for funds, at $400,000, was approved on November 28, 1960; the federal government would provide the remainder as part of an Army Corps of Engineering project to improve river navigation of the Cuyahoga River. Bids for construction were opened on May 22, 1963.
The new span, the largest over the Cuyahoga River with a river channel of 200 feet, contained 1,400 tons of steel and 30 tons of self-gripping bolts manufactured by Lamson & Sessions of Brooklyn. It was erected by the Engels Steel Construction Company of Alabama. The new Willow Avenue Bridge cost $3.8 million and opened on April 1, 1965.
Main Avenue BridgeThe first Main Avenue Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/main-avenue-bridge) was constructed in 1869 and was one of the first iron bridges in the city. It featured a 200-foot swing span pivoted from a central pier. The bridge was rebuilt in 1885 to be operated by steam. In 1915, the bridge was repaired and moved slightly to allow for longer approaches for the larger vessels that were now moving up the Cuyahoga. By 1943, the swing span was being operated over 9,000 times per year. It was demolished in 1947 when it was declared obsolete due to the completion of the Main Avenue high-level bridge.
Plans for a Main Avenue high-level viaduct were first formulated in 1930, and in November, a $6 million bond issue was passed by voters towards the construction of a bridge. The Great Depression postponed any construction, but with the formation of the Public Works Administration, a new source of financing was available.
Ground was broken on May 12, 1938 for a 5,920-foot viaduct. Including ramps, the bridge stretched for 8,000 feet. From the western end, the bridge featured five steel spans 200 feet long, followed by two spans of 240 feet each, and then a span of 320 feet. The east ramp across railroad tracks, consisting of a three four-span plate girders, were each 270.8 feet in length, the largest built in the United States at that time. The concrete piers of the river span were anchored in blue clay 45 feet below the riverbed, and stood 100 feet from the river's edge to allow for future widening of the channel.
On April 25, 1939, a golden rivet was driven that linked the east and west sides of the bridge. The bridge was dedicated later that year on October 6 to more than a thousand people. It was completed at a cost of $7.5 million. The bridge received the an American Institute of Steel Construction Honorable Mention for its design. The Main Avenue Bridge was rehabilitated in 1978.
Below: Various scenes of the Main Avenue Bridge (SR 2), painted in a crisp blue.
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Prior to the Civil War, the need for a high-level crossing of the Cuyahoga River was needed. The first proposal came in 1835 by Oliver P. Baldwin, an editor with the
Cleveland Daily Advertiser, who advocated such a bridge to facilitate easier "communication" between Cleveland and Ohio City. Baldwin advocated for an arch bridge, supported by stone piers, that would be 120 feet wide with room for railroads, a common road, and widewalks with iron railings. He went on to elaborate the need for apartments, offices, stores and warehouses that would rise from the ground to the top of the arch, and the need for the bridge to be high enough to allow any masts or rigging of any vessel to pass underneath.
In April 1870, a lecture by J. F. Holloway at East Side High School involved the presentation of a plan for a high level bridge, which included an estimated cost and a survey of traffic that crossed the Cuyahoga at Main (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/main-avenue-bridge/), Center (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/center-street-bridge/), Columbus (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/columbus-road-bridge/) and West Third (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/west-3rd-street-bridge/) streets (then Seneca Street). A year later, the city declared that it was "powerless" to undertake such a project. R. B. Dennis, of the Ohio House of Representatives, introduced a bill that authorized the building of the bridge. While it passed in the House, it failed in the Senate.
Advocates for the bridge had the support of the Cleveland
Leader, while opponents had the support of the Cleveland
Herald. The
Herald warned that the city could not afford a debt of $2 million for the bridge.
A resolution was put forth to the City Council on April 18, 1871 to form a committee to select a bridge location, which was adopted on May 8. At that time, the U.S. Corps of Engineers noted a desire for a swing span for navigational purposes. A petition was also presented that called for two carriageways, streetcar tracks and sidewalks, signed by F. W. Pelton and 67 others. During the summer, surveys were conducted to determine the best route. One plan included the connection of Ohio Street (Central Avenue) to the east with Lorain Street to the west.
Note: Interestingly enough, one of the least preferred routes of the suggested was one that was later adopted by the >Lorain-Carnegie Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/lorain-carnegie-bridge/), a span that never carried its predicted traffic volumes and one that never carried rapid transit, even though it was designed for it.
A meeting held on April 22 contained traffic projections of 15,240 pedestrians and 4,671 teams of horses. A two-cent toll would be imposed. In January 1872, a bill was passed that granted permission to build the viaduct — a decision that was mocked by the Cleveland
Herald.A resolution was introduced on January 30 that proposed the railroad tracks be laid to the site to assist in the movement of construction materials. The bill for permission to build the viaduct had to be rewritten — which also included the measure to abandoned the Ohio Canal in the vicinity of the bridge. The "east siders" were opposed to the measure, but Judge Coffinberry argued in favor of the bridge, noting that the city was growing and that the existing spans were already inadequate. The new bill was adopted on April 27 — but left out the tolling authorization, which would be left up to the voters.
During this time, two new routes were surveyed, one from Superior Avenue and Water Street (West 9th Street) to Pearl (West 25th Street) and Franklin, and the other from Superior and Union Lane (West 10th Street) to Pearl (West 25th Street) and Detroit - second one was recommended and ultimately acted upon. In April, the proposal for the bridge was sent to popular vote, and it was approved 7,548 to 2,623. The estimated cost of the span was $759,328.78. But in January 18 of 1873, a protest signed by influential members of the city claimed that the cost was too high and that the bridge could be built for far less. A similar complaint was filed on February 11. Both had no effect.
On August 19, an ordinance authorizing an issue of $117,893 in bonds for land acquisition was defeated by a single vote. Citizens of the west side submitted a petition to the City Council for their reconsideration, which was signed by over 4,000. Ultimately, the push worked and land acquisition proceeded. On October 7, E. W. Ensign was awarded a contract for masonry construction with a bid of $512,720. Ensign was a Berea, Ohio quarry owner and contractor. Sherman and Flager constructed the masonry piers.
But even after $500,00 had been spent on construction, resolutions were submitted to abandon the project. From 1870 to 1878, petitions from the east side claimed that the taxes would be excessive. Petitions from the west side claimed that business would "deflect" to the east side. Injunctions and objections led to several bridge modifications. The first was the widening of the roadway, from 50 feet to 64 feet due to a petition on March 16, 1875. The rationale was that business houses could be built on each side of the stone arches. The change cost was $2.2 million, with the cost of the bridge alone amounting to just $1.6 million. Because of the change, additional bonds were needed and it went to the voters on May 4, 1876, which worked out in favor with a vote of 6,863 to 3,181.
On December 21, 1875, the City Council asked the Legislature to authorized the collection of tolls not to exceed three cents for a single team of horses and five cents for a double team of horses. A resolution submitted on April 18, 1876 by Horatio C. Ford asked that tolls be collected for only the first twenty years. Another resolution was filed on December 5, 1876 on the issue of tolls, but no action was taken. Construction on the Superior Viaduct began in March 1875 with the driving of timber piles 20 feet deep into the clay. The first blocks for the arches were laid on May 20. From the western approach, there were eight masonry arches of 83-foot span and two arches of 97.5-foot span. The masonry work was 1,382 feet in length and 72 feet in height. It required more than two million cubic feet of sandstone. As the arches were being completed, there was minor settling of two to five inches.
The center included an iron pivot swing span, 332 feet in length. The eastern approach featured a continuous plate girder bridge of three 162-foot spans, two 145-foot spans and one 160-foot span. The iron and swing spans were built by Claflin and Sheldon, while the iron railing was constructed by Lauderback and Company.
The Superior Viaduct (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/superior-viaduct) was opened on December 27, 1878 at a cost of $1,574,921.32. The right-of-way alone cost $600,000. In the proceeding opening ceremony, the two proponents of the bridge, Henry Wood and Beldon Seymour, stood at opposite ends of the viaduct and walked towards the center where they shook hands. A parade that took 20 minutes to pass only added to the pomp of the opening day. Several years after the bridge was completed, the city attempted to open the river channel west of the center pier of the iron drawspan, but pier eight began to settle and the channel work was stopped. By 1909, the swing span was opened 3,600 times per year, or 300 times a month. It took four to six minutes to open or close.(1)
The Superior Viaduct was closed to traffic in 1918 after the Detroit-Superior Bridge opened. The viaduct was condemned in 1920 and two years later, the central river span was demolished with 150 pounds of dynamite.
Below: Photographs of the viaduct in relation to other spans and its environment.
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(part 2)
Center Street BridgeThe Center Street Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/center-street-bridge) is the only swing bridge in the region. The crossing was once part of the "Bridge War" that involved the Columbus Road Bridge, when that was donated to the city of Cleveland on April 18, 1836. To make matters worse for Ohio City, Cleveland demolished a portion of the Center Street Bridge in June so commerce would be forced to use Columbus Street and bypass Ohio City. In retribution, Ohio City residents rallied together, chanting "Two Bridges or None." A group attempted to detonate black powder but this failed to take down the bridge. On October 31, a mob armed with guns and other improvised weapons damaged the Columbus Street Bridge, but was met with Cleveland Mayor John W. Willey and armed militiamen who soon seriously injured three men. A county sheriff arrived to end the violence and to make arrests. It took a court ruling to force two bridges across the Cuyahoga River.
The present swing span was constructed in 1901 with a main span length of 249.8 feet, affording a channel clearance width of 122 feet. The rim-bearing swing was constructed by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, with L. B. and J. A. Smith Company acting as contractors for the substructure. Originally, the pivot was located in the middle of the channel, which was later moved to the north bank. The bridge closed on July 19, 2010 for a year-long repair project that included repairing the bridge deck, sidewalks and electrical and mechanical components. The $2.6 million project was awarded to Great Lakes Construction Company of Hinckley, Ohio in early May and was completed in June 2011.
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The Detroit-Superior Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/detroit-superior-bridge) is a 3,112-foot through arch bridge over the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. Connecting Detroit Avenue in the west side of the city to Superior Avenue in downtown, the crossing was built by the King Bridge Company from 1914 to 1917.
In function, it replaced the aging Superior viaduct that was dedicated December 27, 1878.
This bridge was covered in an .
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The Cleveland Union Terminal Viaduct (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/cleveland-union-terminal-viaduct) was constructed for Terminal Tower. The Union Terminal served four railroads: New York Central, Nickel Plate, Baltimore & Ohio (after 1934), and Erie (after 1949). As part of the development, a 17-mile grade-separated passenger train right-of-way was developed from Collinwood in the east to Linndale on the west, crossing into the city on a 3,450-foot viaduct. It entered into the terminal via 12 underground platforms.
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The Columbus Road crossing (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/columbus-road-bridge) in the Flats is the fifth span at the site of Cleveland's first permanent bridge. It was also involved in the short lived "Bridge War." This bridge is currently scheduled for partial reconstruction due to advanced structural deterioration.
The Columbus Road crossing was covered in an earlier post (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/07/27/clevelands-bridge-war-and-the-columbus-street-span/).
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The New York Central Lift Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/new-york-central-lift-bridge) (Cuyahoga River Bridge No. 8), located in the Flats district, crosses the Cuyahoga between Columbus Road and Carter Road. The first crossing at that site was for the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad, later known as the "Big Four" when the line was extended to Indianapolis. When it was stretched further west to St. Louis, the railroad became known as the C. C. C. & St. L. The 1902 Scherzer Rolling Lift bridge featured a clear channel opening of 107 feet.
A contract for the construction of a lift span was awarded on November 3, 1950 and announced by Col. Herman W. Schull Jr., Buffalo District Engineer of the Army Corps of Engineers. The new span was designed by Howard, Needles, Tammen and Bergendoff. The $1.5 million contract included foundation work for the Bates & Rogers Construction Corporation of Chicago for $432,034 and the superstructure for the Mount Vernon Bridge Company of Ohio for $1,106,395, which included the machinery. The erection was handled by the McDowell Company of Cleveland. Electrical work was performed by Dingle-Clark. The cost of the entire span, including the planning and the removal of the old bridge, was projected to be near $2 million.
Under the River and Harbor Act of 1946, the federal government financed most of the cost of the new bridge as part of a $50 million river and harbor improvement project begun in 1937. The new vertical lift was set to replace the old bridge No. 8. The new bridge was designed to provide a horizontal opening of 200 feet. With such improvements, vessel sizes could increase from 540-foot long ships to 700-foot long vessels.
The new bridge was built upon 60 steel H piles. The lower ends of the piles were driven more than 100 feet below the surface of the river. The towers extended 160 feet into the air, Construction was delayed when the two 135 hp motors for the bridge were diverted to the Navy for defense needs. The bridge, delayed for six months, did not open until March 3, 1953. It received the American Institute of Steel Construction Award of Merit for the most beautiful bridge in its class.
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: The New York Central Lift Bridge is to the bottom right.
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: The New York Central Lift Bridge is at the top of the photograph.
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: Today's operator, operating to serve one customer in the Flats. A far cry from the bustling industries that were located in the valley.
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The abandoned vertical lift span adjacent to the Carter Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/carter-road-bridge) was built for the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, or the "Big Four." In 1906, the "Big Four" was acquired by the New York Central, operating it as a separate entity until 1930. It then became a part of Penn Central in 1968 and then Conrail.
The first railroad crossing at that site, known as Cuyahoga River Bridge No. 5 (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/cleveland-columbus-cincinnati-and-st-louis-railroad-bridge-no-5), was constructed in 1902 for the "Big Four" Railroad, and incorporated a Scherzer Rolling Lift.
At 10 AM on September 28, 1955, the new New York Central Bridge opened at a cost of $3 million. The new vertical lift span, which contained 1,410 tons of structural steel, increased the vertical clearance another 80 feet. The project received the American Institute of Steel Construction Award of Merit for the most beautiful bridge in its class. The electrical contractors were Dingle-Clark and the steel fabricators were McDowell Wellman. Under the River and Harbor Act of 1946, the federal government financed most of the cost of the new bridge as part of a $50 million river and harbor improvement project. The new crossing had a vertical clearance of 260 feet and a clear channel of 200 feet, and the lifting mechanism was worked by two 135 horsepower motors at the top of the two girders.
(part 3)
Carter Road BridgeThe Carter Road crossing (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/carter-road-bridge) over the Cuyahoga River in the Flats was constructed from 1939 to 1940, and replaced the lower and middle West Third Street Bridge that were demolished as part of the Terminal Tower complex construction and the Collision Bend Cut 5A project.
Carter Road, named after Lorenzo Carter, Cleveland's first permanent settler, has long been the site of a crossing over the Cuyahoga River. The first span was constructed in 1853, but collapsed just four years later after it was overloaded with cattle. A new replacement was built, replaced in 1888 by an iron swing bridge with a pivot span of 180 feet and one fixed span of 105 feet. The fourth bridge was a Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge that was completed in 1903, the first of its kind in the city. It featured a double-leaf drawspan 138 feet in length, with a 23-foot wide roadway and two six-foot sidewalks.
In 1939, a public hearing was held in regards to an application by the city for approval by council of plans to construct a new bridge for Carter Road over the Cuyahoga River as part of the $5.5 million Streamlining Project that sought to eliminate several dangerous curves for boats and to widen the navigation channel. A new crossing of the Cuyahoga River at Carter Road would be sufficient for those requirements and would replace the aging lower and middle West Third Street Bridge. Specifically, the project was referred to as the Collision Bend Cut 5A project.
A vertical lift span was designed by Wilbur, Watson and Associates. Bids were received on January 12, 1939 and divided into 12 subitems. A $158,000 contract for the caissons on the substructure was awarded to the low-bidder Lombardo Bros. Construction Company of Cleveland. Part of that contract was sublet to the Western Foundation Company of Chicago for $110,000. Superstructure contracts were awarded on April 12 to the Mt. Vernon Bridge Company, to be erected by the Bass Construction Company. Construction was scheduled to be complete by May 15, 1940.
On February 20, violent protests by two councilmen from southwest wards held up a city council approval of the purchase of $150,000 worth of property along the Cuyahoga River for the river straightening and Carter Road Bridge project. The councilmen, Ray C. Miller and Harold H. Waldenmaier, stated that the new bridge was inadequate from the south.
Concrete piers were poured, each comprising of six 30-inch steel cylinders 140 feet in length, supplemented by steel batter piles and a steel pile enclosure.
A December 6 account of the bridge construction noted that it was well ahead of schedule, and that the north tower was almost ready for the installation of the lifting equipment. The south tower construction had just started. By February 1, 1940, erection of the steel to form the towers was well ahead of schedule, and the joining of the towers with the Pratt through truss was completed in mid-February.
On March 4, the Republican Floor Leader Herman H. Finkle halted all consideration of the Cuyahoga River improvement projects by the city council finance committee, pending an investigation of the contracts involved with the substructure of the new Carter Road span. Finkle asserted that Lombardo profited $48,000 on the subletting of the contract, and that there was a collusion. Lombardo replied that it had lost some money on the sub-contract because it had to pay more for some materials than it was getting for them from the Western Foundation Company. George B. Sowers, consulting engineer on the Cuyahoga River Streamlining Project, stated that Finkle was given misinformation and that he was "deliberately" making trouble for the city.
The Carter Road span opened two weeks behind schedule in June 1940, and featured a 220-foot wide channel with a 201 foot clear channel. The Carter Road Bridge was rehabilitated in 1989. A 2005 inspection of the bridge, however, noted that while the bridge was in good condition, its machinery and electrical equipment was outdated and that many moving parts exhibited severe wear and tear or deterioration. The counterweights suffered so much deterioration that they required outright replacement.
On March 16, 2009, the city passed an ordnance that allowed the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency to seek funds in the approximate amount of $2.5 million that would go towards the rehabilitation of the Carter Road Bridge. The preliminary engineering was estimated at $270,000. The project would be financed with 80% from Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds, with Cleveland providing the non-federal share of construction at $446,000. The project wold address counterweight and cable issues, and see the improvement of lighting and signal systems for navigational traffic, the installation of new safety gates, paint touch up at the salt zone level, and the proper seating of the bridge and the installation of new approaches. The rehabilitation project began in May 2010.
Below: The Big Four Railroad Bridge is the rust-stained span next to the blue Carter Road Bridge.
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: Photographs of the Big Four Railroad Bridge and the Carter Road Bridge from Louise Taft Cawood, July 1986, Historic American Engineering Record, National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
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(part 4)
Eagle Avenue BridgeThe Eagle Avenue Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/eagle-avenue-bridge) was the first lift span to be completed in Cleveland, crossing the Cuyahoga and connecting to a viaduct that rose out of the Flats and into downtown. The lift span operated until 2005 when the viaduct was demolished.
The Eagle Avenue Bridge and Viaduct replaced the middle West Third Street Bridge, which featured a double Scherzer lift. Opened in 1908, it featured a channel opening of 116.2 feet. Financed by the Van Sweringen brothers as part of the Union Terminal project, the Eagle Avenue Bridge was designed to funnel traffic from the Flats up to downtown, which was on significant elevation.
Waddell-Hardesty Company of New York were the designing engineers, headed by F. L. Gorman, while Spencer, White & Prentiss of Detroit were the general contractors, headed by Noah H. Suloff. The resident engineer was G. Brooks Earnest. Construction was completed by McMyler Interstate of Bedford, Ohio and Walsh Construction Company, with steel sourced from Strobel Steel Construction Company. The first steel was erected on January 30, 1928 and last rivet was placed in the bridge in November.
The bridge's ownership was transferred from the Sweringens to the city on January 8, 1929 and the Eagle Avenue Bridge opened to traffic in 1931. It was the first vertical lift span in Cleveland and the sixth in the nation.
Cracks were discovvered in the lifting mechanism in May 1987 which required a six week closure. A $2.5 million repair project contract was awarded in September 1989 to the American Bridge Company, and was to be completed in August 1990, but did not reopen until late August 1991 at a cost of more than $3 million. In 2005, the Eagle Avenue viaduct was demolished as it had deteriorated. The lift bridge was allowed to remain intact, however, there is no current use for the disconnected bridge. The city of Cleveland proposed the reconstruction of West 3rd Street from Stones Levee to Commercial Road Hill, and the replacement of the Commercial Road Hill Bridge at a cost of $37 million.
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: Selected construction photographs from Walsh Construction. Many more can be found at the article gallery (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/eagle-avenue-bridge).
Viaduct construction at the Stones Levee Bridge photographed February 22, 1928 by Walsh Construction. Sourced from the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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: West 3rd Street approach photographed March 3, 1928 by Walsh Construction. Sourced from the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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: The lift span being connected with a Pennsylvania truss. Photographed August 20, 1928 by Walsh Construction. Sourced from the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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: An aerial from Terminal Tower, photographed June 29, 1929 by Walsh Construction. Sourced from the Cleveland State University Michael Schwartz Library Special Collections.
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The Lorain-Carnegie Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/lorain-carnegie-bridge) spans the Cuyahoga River valley and was the second vehicular high-level span to be completed.
The first push for a third high level viaduct to cross the Cuyahoga River came as early as 1916, prior to the completion of the Detroit-Superior Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/detroit-superior-bridge/). While bond issues were passed, the development of World War I halted any development work on a bridge. A 1924 City Planning Commission report, however, recommended the immediate construction of a viaduct. The report indicated that due to the construction of the Union Terminal complex, that such a viaduct could become a major roadway moving traffic from downtown to Shaker Square. In 1927, a Citizens Committee was formed with 15 members to make recommendations to the county regarding construction.
In November, two bonds were passed towards the construction of the bridge – one for the structure and the other for the land. The Chamber of Commerce requested that the bridge piers not interfere with any future widening of the Cuyahoga River, and the City Plan Committee noted that there could be traffic and transportation distribution issues. The bridge was designed by Wilbur J. Watson, a consulting engineer who was known for blending art and science into cohesive designs, Frank Walker and Harry Weeks, both architects. Two decks were proposed. The upper deck would carry a 60-foot roadway and two 7-foot sidewalks, while the lower level would carry two rapid transit tracks and two 18-foot truck lanes.
Construction began in 1930. Concrete piles were used under all piers except for the river crossing, which relied on timber piles. The footing were drilled down to a depth of 38 feet below river level on average. The bottom chord of the trusses were curved for aesthetic purposes, which only slightly increased the cost of the bridge. Approximately 71,000 yards of concrete was poured and 13,000 tons of structural silicon steel was used in the construction project. The silicon steel was strong with a high copper content, and was overbuilt in anticipation of the lower deck being used. Sandstone railings were used, requiring 10,000 tons of rock that were quarried in Amherst. Four ornamental pylons, symbolizing transportation progress, were built at the ends of the bridge. The 40-foot high Art Deco sculptures were designed by Frank Walker of Walker and Weeks and built by Henry Hering of New York. Cutters did all of the straight-line work required, and carvers sculptured the statues and the associated details. The pylons were referred to as the "Guardians of Traffic."
The bridge was completed at a cost of $4 million and was dedicated on November 9, 1932. Traffic was initially heavy, with congestion almost always a concern on the western end of the span. Further improvements on Lorain were proposed but never implemented, partially due to the construction of the Main Avenue Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/main-avenue-bridge/) and then the Innerbelt (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/innerbelt-bridge-interstate-90/innerbelt-bridge/). The only work to occur post-construction was the movement of storefronts further back from the property line in anticipation of widening.
In 1976, Albert Porter, a county engineer, desired to widen the bridge and proposed to tear down the iconic pylons. When people protested, Porter became heated with his comments and was quoted as stating, "Those columns are monstrosities and should be torn down and forgotten. There is nothing particularly historic about any one of them. We're not running a May Show here." Porter was also one of the strongest proponents for the construction of an interstate through Shaker Lakes. Eric Johannesen, a preservationist for the Western Reserve Historical Society, submitted an application to get the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge listed on the National Register of Historic Places, namely for the statues. The application cited that it was Cleveland's "only example of monumental sculpture from the 1920s and 1930s." The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places later on October 8 – a rare feat since the span was less than 50 years of age.
The Lorain-Carnegie Bridge was closed for three years beginning on October 1, 1980 for major $22 million rehabilitation project that involved repaving the bridge, replacing the sidewalks and cleaning the statues with crushed walnut shells. The sandstone railings were replaced with steel-reinforced concrete designed to look like the sandstone it replaced.
In 1983, the county renamed the bridge after former Clevelander Bob Hope's father, Harry, who was part of the stoneworking team on the bridge. The renaming received mixed reviews as Harry was part of a team who was involved in the pylon construction. Bob Hope also did not show up for the bridge renaming ceremony, which irked many.
In the early 21st century, the roadway was resurfaced, and steel the size of pinheads was used as an agent to remove rust from the metal underneath the bridge. Damaged metal was replaced and the entire bridge was repainted. In addition, four-foot bike lanes were added. The project cost $20 million. A $4.5 million project that began in May 2012 involved the construction of a shared bike path and a new broad sidewalk to cater to the growing cycling community in Cleveland. The new path was a compromise between cycling advocates, who wanted a path along the new Innerbelt Bridge, and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), who noted that the path would be too expensive and too close to fast moving traffic. As an alternative, ODOT pitched a path for the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge to replace the bike lanes. The project involved the installation of a 14.5-foot sidewalk on the north side of the bridge, separated from the road by a 42-inch high concrete barrier. Two of the bridge's four lanes were narrowed from 12 feet to 11 feet, and the two outside lanes were marked by sharrows, which indicated that the lane is a heavily trafficked bicycle route and that cars should share the road with cyclists. Narrowed streets on both ends resulted in shorter crossings for pedestrians as part of a traffic calming measure.
Below: The Lorain-Carnegie Bridge is the green and pink colored high-level span in the center.
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: Bike path construction.
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(part 5)
Nickel Plate Road High Level BridgeThe Nickel Plate Road High Level Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/nickel-plate-road-high-level-bridge) over the Cuyahoga was constructed in 1917 for the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, otherwise known as the Nickel Plate Road. The first crossing of the river at that location was a swing bridge with a pier in the center of the river. In the 1800s, the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad extended its line through Cleveland, and in 1882, a wrought-iron viaduct with alterate tower spans and intermediate spans of Fink truss design, supported on sandstone masonry piers, carried two tracks across the Flats. The viaduct was designed by J. A. Latcher, Chief Engineer, W. M. Hughes, Bridge Engineer, and W. D. Boch, Substructure Engineer.
A more substantial span was needed by the 1910s due to larger and heavier trains that were being incorporated. Designed by the Chief Engineer, E. E. Hart, the second crossing of the valley was constructed in 1917 and consisted of six deck and through riveted truss spans carrying two tracks for a total length of 3,010 feet. A 167-foot Scherzer Rolling Lift was incorporated to raise the span for ships passing through along the river. The engineers were Hardesty and Hanover, and the railroad company engineers were R. T. Hewitt, H. H. Whitmore and E. F. Marley.
In 1957, the Scherzer lift was replaced with a 267-foot vertical lift to increase the horizontal clearance of the river.
The Nickel Plate was merged into the Norfolk and Western in 1964, which was merged into the Southern that formed the Norfolk Southern in 1982.
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The Innerbelt Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/innerbelt-bridge-interstate-90/innerbelt-bridge/) carries Interstate 90 over the Cuyahoga River via seven cantilever truss arches. It replaced the Central Viaduct. Currently, two new Innerbelt Bridges of the rarely-used delta frame design are being erected to replace a structurally deficient, fracture-critical bridge.
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The Innerbelt Bridge was covered in an earlier post (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/07/24/clevelands-innerbelt-freeway-and-bridge/).
West 3rd Street BridgeThe upper West 3rd Street Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/west-3rd-street-bridge) is located in the Flats and was constructed from 1939 to 1940 as part of the Cuyahoga River Streamlining Project.
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In 1939, a public hearing was held in regards to an application by the city for approval by council of plans to construct a new bridge for upper West 3rd Street over the Cuyahoga River as part of the $5.5 million Streamlining Project that sought to eliminate several dangerous curves for boats and to widen the navigation channel. A new crossing of the Cuyahoga River at the upper West 3rd Street Bridge would be sufficient for those requirements.
The foundations for the new bridge were completed in mid-December 1939. By February 1, 1940, one tower was finished and wooden piling had been driven to support the lift span that was being erected. After being joined together, the skeleton span was raised to the top of the towers for completion, and the temporary pilings were removed prior to an annual ice and flood event along the river. Work on removing the temporary upper West 3rd Street Bridge and demolishing the lower West 3rd Street Bridge was completed between mid-May and July 1.
On June 4, 2004, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) awarded Walsh Construction of Chicago a $16.8 million contract for the rehabilitation of the West Third Street Bridge. In November, the crossing was closed to traffic, with a scheduled completion date of May 31, 2006. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) covered 80% of the cost and the city 20%. ODOT oversaw the construction, while the city bid out the renovation's engineering and design to West Carroll Bergmann and construction to Walsh Construction of Chicago.
But the bridge had problems soon after its renovation. In 2005, the bridge towers were stripped of their paint in preparation to be fully painted, but Walsh only sandblasted and primed the towers because workers had to replace a concrete floor and girders at the top of each tower. On March 6, 2006, it was discovered that the lift cables were three feet too short, so the bridge could not be lowered to its lower position. The bridge opening on December 29 was delayed while awaiting installation of safety gates at each end of the span. It was then announced that the bridge would be closed on April 19 for 60 days for painting.
In January 2007, a cable broke, sending a traffic barrier on the north side of the bridge down. One of the masts in a tower snapped later that spring, requiring $45,000 in immediate work. The span finally opened to traffic on January 11. But yearly inspections afterwards found wires hanging from electrical junction boxes and jerky movements when the span lowered. Fuses also repeatedly blew when the span was being put down, and the brake pads showed excessive wear. In addition, the bridge was primed but never painted after the renovation, leading to early rust on the bridge. The bridge was scheduled to be closed on April 19 for repainting, but Walsh wanted $4.4 million to complete the painting, noting that the original contract was more complicated than envisioned. ODOT agreed but said that it could be done for less than Walsh requested. Walsh subsequently sued ODOT.
The bridge was closed for a few days on June 9 due to problems with the lifting mechanism.
In July 2008, at the request of ODOT, Cuyahoga County engineer's office took over the painting project after Walsh and ODOT settled the claim, and Walsh agreed not to do any further work to the span. The county determined that there was not enough time to seek more bids and make sure that funding is available in order for the bridge to be painted for the spring. On October 15, 2009, two bids – one for $5.5 million and $6.7 million, were received for the painting project. ODOT estimated the project at $4.8 million. Another bidding round was held, closing on December 15 when bids from $4.875 million to $7 million were put in. A contract was soon awarded to APBN Inc. of Campbell, Ohio.
The West 3rd Street Bridge closed on April 15, 2010 for repainting, and reopened to traffic in late September. The total cost of the restoration was $28.57 million, well over budget.
In October 2011, the bridge was closed as parts to repair the bridge were in short supply. The cost of repairing the bridge also escalated, from $800,000 to $1.4 million, with work including the replacing of aerial power cables, correcting an electrical system and refurbishing the brakes on the lifts. The city, by April 2012, had spent $400,000 with TranSystems Corp. to analyze the bridge and to recommend fixes.
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The Erie Lackawanna Railroad Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/erie-railroad-bridge) crossed the Cuyahoga River just south of Mahoning Avenue and north of the now demolished Jefferson Avenue Bridge. The site was home to one of the oldest railroad bridges in the city, dating back to 1850, which collapsed in the 1900s due to a train wreck. It was replaced with a swing span, and then a jackknife. It was located within the American Steel & Wire division of U.S. Steel Corporation.
Plans to replace the span dated to the 1949 when the Chamber of Commerce urged the replacement of antiquated spans at the request of Cleveland industrial interests. It resurfaced in the 1950s as part of the Army Corps of Engineers program of replacing the bridges over the Cuyahoga in an attempt to improve river navigation and to allow 700-foot vessels. A contract was approved for engineering and design work for a new Erie Lackawanna Railroad Bridge in June 1963.(2) The new proposed bridge would eliminate the center pier and widen the channel from 117 feet to 210 feet, providing 98 feet of vertical clearance. It would be single tracked, down from twin tracks. The estimated cost of the project was $9 million to $10 million.
The closing of the Erie Ore dock and the bankruptcy of the Erie Railroad made the replacement unnecessary. Bridge No. 19, as it was referred to, was later removed.
B&O BridgeThe Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/cuyahoga-river/baltimore-and-ohio-railroad-bridge) is located just south of the demolished Newburgh and South Shore Railroad Bridge and north of the Clark Freeway Bridge.
The Scherzer rolling lift bridge, constructed in 1906, served the industrial flats along the lake and river and proceeded south towards the American Steel and Wire Company's Central Furnace. The steel was sourced from the American Bridge Company Toledo, Ohio facility. The double-tracked span featured an overall length of 205 feet with a lift span of 160 feet, and featured two General Electric 50 hp motors that were replaced in 1950 with more powerful variants.
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There are, of course, other bridges along the Cuyahoga River. I have not even sorted through piles of historical photographs and sketches of the now demolished Clark Avenue Bridge, or the Jefferson Avenue crossing, or the Main Street span. Several of the freeway bridges have been omitted, as are those within the LTV complex for security purposes. While this may serve as an overview, it is the beginning of coverage of important and notable crossings in northern Ohio.
(This is a five post collection. Scroll up to the beginning for sequential order.)
Exploring Virginia (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/10/25/exploring-virginia/)During the late summer, I wandered through the Virginia countryside, exploring small towns, natural attractions and of course - infrastructure. While Virginia is not known for its covered bridges or its charming trusses that is found more typically in the northeast and midwest, it does boast some impressive crossings that are both preserved or endangered.
I began my entry into Virginia from Bluefield, West Virginia via old US 52 over East River Mountain. I stopped briefly to photograph the southern portal of the East River Mountain Tunnel (http://bridgestunnels.com/tunnels/east-river-mountain-tunnel/). The impressive facility carries Interstate 77 and US 52 through East River Mountain between Bluefield, West Virginia and Rocky Gap, Virginia. Prior to the completion of the tunnel, through traffic had to navigate the steep and winding US 52 over East River Mountain, now designated West Virginia and Virginia routes 598.
To the north, the West Virginia Turnpike had been opened to traffic from Princeton, northeast of Bluefield, to Beckley on September 2, 1954, with the remaining mileage to Charleston opening in November. The two-lane turnpike, nicknamed the "88 Miles of Miracle," was mostly two-lane with provisions for eventual widening. It was not designated Interstate 77 until the modernization of the Turnpike was finished in 1987 that involved widening the turnpike to four-lanes and bypassing a tunnel and bridge with a cut and fill. The total cost was an astronomical $683 million.
But even with the Turnpike being a lonely two-lanes, traffic was significant that dumped traffic onto a two-lane US 52 from the Turnpike's terminus at Princeton to Bluefield and over East River Mountain into Virginia. The first segment of Interstate 77 south of Princeton and the Turnpike was completed in 1969 from US 460 to West Virginia Route 112.
Groundbreaking on the tunnel was held on August 12, 1969 with West Virginia Governor Arch Moore and Virginia Governor Mills Godwin pushing a plunger that triggered an explosion of red, white and blue smoke. Excavation required the use of TNT, and excavation proved difficult as caves created sinkholes that caused one section of the tunnel two feet. As a result, concrete had to be hauled in from Kingsport, Tennessee to stabilize the situation - a process that took two months to complete. In addition, more than 30,000 feet of lumber was used in the support of the tunnel.
The project also involved the construction of Interstate 77 from West Virginia Route 112 south to the tunnel, a distance of 5.09 miles. To the south in Virginia, a 15.6-mile segment of Interstate 77 was completed from US 52 at North Gap to Bland in sections from late-1974 to mid-1975.
The East River Mountain Tunnel was opened to traffic on December 20, 1974 in a ceremony that was capped when Governor Moore landed two helicopters outside of the tunnel while Lieutenant Governor John Dalton looked on. The cost for the 5,412-foot twin tube tunnel cost $40 million and was the most expensive highway project undertaken by the West Virginia Division of Highways up to that time. The costs were shared between the two states: 51% of the tunnel resided in West Virginia and 49% in Virginia.
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Proceeding south, I came across the Wolf Creek Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/rocky-gap-wolf-creek-bridge-old-va-61/) in Rocky Gap that was constructed in 1912 for the New River, Holston and Western Railroad (http://www.abandonedonline.net/railroads/new-river-holston-and-western-railroad/) (NH&W). The pin-connected steel Pratt through truss was fabricated by the Phoenix Bridge Company of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania and featured eight panels with its unique patented Phoenix columns that consist of several pieces forming a cylindrical shaft with riveted ribs.
The NH&W once extended for 43 miles from Narrows on the New River in Giles County to the village of Suiter in Bland County, following Wolf Creek or its tributaries for its entire length. Construction on the railroad began in 1903 from Narrows but reached a distance of just three miles. In 1912, the line was extended to Rocky Gap when W.M. Ritter purchased Buck Horn Timber, a local lumber outfit, and by 1914 the railroad had reached Suiter. The line was partially financed by W.E. Mingea, Jr. of Abingdon, a major county landowner who was involved in the lumber and bark industry. The railroad featured twelve stations at Talmash, Penvir, Bridge No. 2, First Ford, Chappel, Nidey, Round Bottom, Rocky Gap, Novis (South Gap), Hicksville, Bastian and Suiter.
In 1919, the NH&W was sold to the Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W). While the N&W maintained service on the line for five days a week, local timber resources began to be exhausted by the 1930s and the run was cut back to three days a week. In 1946, the railroad was dismantled and the bridge and roadway was converted for Virginia Route 61. In 1986, the Wolf Creek Bridge was closed to all but pedestrians when Virginia Route 61 was realigned several hundred feet upstream in 1986.
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I headed eastward through the Wilderness Creek valley and onward towards Big Walker Creek to photograph more of the rural countryside. I came across the Big Walker Creek Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/big-walker-creek-bridge-va-670/) over Big Walker Creek while exploring a remote Amish settlement on Virginia Route 760 in Giles County. The eight-panel, pin-connected Pratt through truss is of an early 1900s vintage. The bridge is scheduled (http://www.virginiadot.org/business/resources/ipd/VDOT's_Engineering_Outsourcing_Planning_Doc_Feb_2012.pdf) to be replaced at a point after 2014.
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(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbig-walker-creek-bridge-va-670%2F20120922-_dsc8167.jpg&hash=b6f0a8c45125d635ba0f6fed95196a6ccae9e16f)
Further east is the River Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/river-road-bridge-old-va-623/) that carried Virginia Route 623 over the New River in Pembroke. The bridge is notable for containing the largest number of truss types for one bridge, and features Virginia's longest Pennsylvania Petit through truss. It is also home to the last metal column pier and the last Pratt deck truss in the commonwealth.
The earliest crossing of the New River was a ferry that operated from the base of Castle Rock and ran eastward to Pembroke, connecting the Pulaski-Giles Turnpike on the west bank to the Centerville and Peters Mountain Turnpike on the east bank. When the New River Railroad, Mining and Manufacturing Company held its first informational meeting in 1872 in the nearby town of Pearisburg, the company desired to construct a rail line from the New River Depot in Pulaski County upstream to Mercer County, West Virginia. The railroad was surveyed in 1875 following the west bank of the New River, and construction began in 1882. It was at that point that the railroad merged with the Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W).
It was not until the 1890s that the name Pembroke Ferry was commonly used, and by then, traffic on the ferry had substantially increased due to the Pembroke depot located at Castle Rock. On the east bank, the Virginia Railroad — mainly a coal hauling line, was constructed in the early 20th century. In 1912, the Pembroke Limestone Corporation began quarrying operations on the west side of the river, which put further strains on the ferry. The discussion of a bridge over the New River had been discussed as far back as the late 1880s, but no serious considerations were made until the development of the limestone quarry and its associated population and commerce growth.
In 1910, the Virginia State Assembly passed legislation that allowed for the construction of two bridges across the New River. In October and November 1915, the Giles County Board of Supervisors selected the bridge site, and on March 20, 1916, the Assembly granted the county the authority for construction. The county was required to remove the at-grade crossing of the N&W. Construction on the bridge began in 1915 by the Virginia Bridge & Iron Company of Roanoke. Construction was set back temporarily when a pier on the east bank of the river collapsed to its side when the New River flooded. It had been poured but not properly secured. A new pier was cast in its place, and with no further interruptions, the new crossing was completed in the following year.
The unique bridge consisted of seven spans, six of which were metal trusses of four different types. The bridge also consisted of three early technological advancements that had been abandoned by the dawn of the 20th century: a non-riveted field construction, the use of pin connections and the use of hand-forged welds and wrought iron for structural members.
The River Road Bridge was bypassed with a new two-lane bridge in 1996.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Friver-road-bridge-old-va-623%2F20120922-_dsc8223.jpg&hash=dd3aa149a25bef47b6a10901dfeadf96518efaf9)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Friver-road-bridge-old-va-623%2F20120922-_dsc8219.jpg&hash=4238c16d9d4a2d55c99ae07e036bed685454c600)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Friver-road-bridge-old-va-623%2F20120922-_dsc8218.jpg&hash=533904ceda711da5e02ccf706588672b17136bf2)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Friver-road-bridge-old-va-623%2F20120922-_dsc8216.jpg&hash=d2dbd4b18f8247327eb4d196e59819e9489f5817)
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(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Friver-road-bridge-old-va-623%2F20120922-_dsc8214.jpg&hash=8cb926b1fbfe1657926e00ea30889ec92df0c192)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Friver-road-bridge-old-va-623%2F20120922-_dsc8213.jpg&hash=c40f5c120b69579562552697b85d6bbb459688a0)
: Photographs from the Historic American Engineering Record. Many others are available through the River Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/river-road-bridge-old-va-623/) page.
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One of eight remaining covered bridges in Virginia, the Link's Farm Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/links-farm-covered-bridge/) is located in Giles County near Virginia Route 700 and is a private covered span that is not open to the public. The bridge resides on the farm of James Link, Jr. It was his grandfather, Samuel Bradley who purchased the farm in 1907, and five years later Bradley constructed what was called the Bradley Bridge to provide easier access to acreage across Sinking Creek. The span was only 49 feet long and featured a modified Queenspost truss with a segmental arch. In 1949, Virginia Route 700 was constructed and bypassed the covered bridge.
The Link's Farm Covered Bridge was repaired in 1995.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmountain-lake-road-covered-bridge-old-va-700%2F20120922-_dsc8224.jpg&hash=c92273dd13466077618e7d512e3c676289ef0557)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmountain-lake-road-covered-bridge-old-va-700%2F20120922-_dsc8227.jpg&hash=b01569953f7ecf8f14bcb501ac7ee19da750739d)
: Photographs by Jet Lowe of the Historic American Engineering Record.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmountain-lake-road-covered-bridge-old-va-700%2F3.jpg&hash=eb2c774e65926548fd8431b601b61620982293b2)
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Nearby is the Old Clover Hollow Road Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/old-clover-hollow-road-covered-bridge-old-va-601/) in Giles County on a former alignment of Virginia Route 601 that spans Sinking Creek. The covered bridge was constructed in 1916 and is a modified Queenspost truss with a segmental arch and is 70.10-feet long.
In 1963, the bridge was bypassed with a concrete span. The bridge was offered for sale to the adjacent property owners, but the Miller farm to the north did not want to assume responsibility for maintenance of the bridge. There was no record of deed that conveyed the bridge or adjoining land to either the county or state, but in 1995, Giles County announced that it owned the bridge. The Old Clover Hollow Road Covered Bridge was recently renovated, with labor provided by volunteers from local citizens and students at Virginia Tech.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fold-clover-hollow-road-covered-bridge-old-va-601%2F20120922-_dsc8229.jpg&hash=8cf75e055220433721a3ba7b08cc39f7230cf1c5)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fold-clover-hollow-road-covered-bridge-old-va-601%2F20120922-_dsc8230.jpg&hash=4f51e3b591b2a824407890fe78780b4f0f8746f2)
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The Cannery Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/cannery-road-bridge/) carries Virginia Route 773 over the Roanoke River in Lafayette, Virginia. The camelback through truss was constructed in 1917 and relocated to the present site in 1958.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcannery-road-bridge%2F20120922-_dsc8247.jpg&hash=1c397fe10334c5c6f455fdac826f5c169fef9fc9)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcannery-road-bridge%2F20120922-_dsc8245.jpg&hash=422a77f19dc16337e753b61eeeb4771036cfbccf)
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While proceeding northbound on Interstate 81, I came across the Roaring Run Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/roaring-run-bridge/) at Ironto rest area. The bridge - spanning a drainage ditch, is among the oldest bridge of its type in the United States and the oldest medal bridge in Virginia.
The riveted bowstring pony truss was originally constructed in 1877-1878 over Stoney Fork north of Moneto in Bedford County by the King Iron Bridge and Manufacturing Company of Cleveland, Ohio. In the 1930s, the one-lane span was relocated to span Roaring Run along Virginia Route 657 in Bedford County. In 1972, the Roaring Run Bridge was replaced by a concrete culvert and moved to the rest area in 1976.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Froaring-run-bridge%2F20120922-_dsc8253.jpg&hash=de19cd3bb296c7c0bac65fcba2371eb4ebda7ff1)
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: Photographs from the Historic American Engineering Record prior to the span's closure in 1972.
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On the way out of Virginia, I drove through the rural Virginia countryside to photograph several small communities while traveling along the broad rivers and diminutive creeks. The Clementon Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/clementon-road-bridge/) carries Virginia Route 681 over the Appromattox River between Powhatan and Amelia counties. The riveted Warren pony truss was constructed in 1932.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fclementon%2520road%2520bridge%26quot%3B%2520src%3D%26quot%3Bhttp%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fclementon-road-bridge%2F20120927-_dsc9570.jpg&hash=2c8c2e6d3130ca6ff17daf75cbd80e5e10659347)
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The Rivanna River Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/rivanna-river-bridge-va-6/) carries Virginia Route 6 over the Rivanna River west of Columbia in Fluvanna County, Virginia. The pony truss was constructed in 1930.
As of 2012, the ailing bridge had a sufficiency rating of 32.1 out of 100 and was both functionally and structurally deficient. The first public hearing on a new bridge was held on April 4, 2012. Right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation for the new bridge began in the fall, with construction scheduled to begin in 2013 with an expected completion date of 2016. The total cost of the new bridge is estimated to be $11.92 million: $1.5 million for engineering, $293,006 for right-of-way and $10,125,777 for construction.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Frivanna-river-bridge-va-6%2F20120927-_dsc9624.jpg&hash=6947ddded9d459559813d99705a7621d34fe723d)
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The Stoney Point Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/stoney-point-road-bridge/) is located along Virginia Route 620 between Amelia and Cumberland counties. The six-panel, pin-connected Pratt through truss was constructed in 1912.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fstoney-point-road-bridge%2F20120927-_dsc9587.jpg&hash=35524eba54676eda7ee05c4775f9e7313722284c)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fstoney-point-road-bridge%2F20120927-_dsc9588.jpg&hash=258558ecea9f49b522d0a7c41605bbece444adbb)
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Brook Hill Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/brook-hill-road-bridge/) is located between Cumberland and Amelia counties along Virginia Route 621. The Pratt through truss over the Appomattox River was constructed in 1900.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbrook-hill-road-bridge%2F20120927-_dsc9580.jpg&hash=de52303fc9db3941c59d184087d59855330ebb4e)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbrook-hill-road-bridge%2F20120927-_dsc9573.jpg&hash=ee0eefcb7efa6f12b53d7e243faa18eb02b912d9)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbrook-hill-road-bridge%2F20120927-_dsc9579.jpg&hash=1d842c629b1f03f3bb2dd87138b9a5dcb04dcc7b)
More unique is the Cartersville Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/cartersville-bridge-old-va-45/) over the James River that carried Virginia Route 45 between Cartersville and Pemberton. What remains is a rare surviving example of composite bridge construction. It was one of the last bridges in the United States to be comprised of wood, especially as a major structural element.
The first span across the river was constructed by the Cartersville Bridge Company which was chartered in 1819. A contract between David Scott of Maryland and the Cartersville Bridge Company was signed on July 19, 1820 with work to begin on a wooden covered bridge by September 1. The initial completion date was set for December 25, 1821. Amendments to the contract were made on May 31 and on December 12 for additional work, and the final cost was estimated at more than $24,000.
The covered span consisted of five stone piers and two stone abutments built of rough cut ashlar and rubble, and a series of Burr arch trusses but was poorly constructed. A diary entry from William Bolling on September 8, 1827 noted that the arches were "giving way" and that the bridge would soon "fall in." In 1841, famous engineer Claudius Crozet reported his concerns with the structural integrity of the bridge and the first Cartersville Bridge was demolished a year later.
A contract was signed to Joseph N. Carrington on March 12, 1842 for a new bridge. The second span was either destroyed or collapsed prior to 1883 and was not rebuilt due to the high cost of bridging the James River. During those years, a ferry was operated by the James River and Kanawha Canal Company whose ownership later transferred to the Richmond & Allegany Railroad Company (R&A). The ferry also operated during the rebuilding of the bridge in 1841.
In 1884, the R&A contracted with Goochland and Cumberland counties to rebuild the bridge with a combination of wood and iron on the original stone piers and abutments. The superstructure was composed of heavy timber members with cast-iron connections that formed a six-span Pratt through truss. The original floor beams consisted of wrought iron that was replaced with rolled steel in 1955. The roadway deck was constructed of timber. The R&A also sought the construction of two other bridges across the James River so that citizens could walk or drive across the river to the railroad.
All but two spans of the superstructure were destroyed in a flood caused by Hurricane Agnes on June 22, 1972. A replacement bridge 947-feet in length adjacent to the original Cartersville Bridge was completed on June 1, 1974.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcartersville-bridge-old-va-45%2F20120927-_dsc9620.jpg&hash=21591154ebd00e726f4e5698c6d4b303ee1ebeb7)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcartersville-bridge-old-va-45%2F20120927-_dsc9616.jpg&hash=94257759bc80d3d2544a867ad67326a82d0e1606)
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(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcartersville-bridge-old-va-45%2F20120927-_dsc9614.jpg&hash=d6805f0614920ecddc82cfdfb5191e8660ff383f)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcartersville-bridge-old-va-45%2F20120927-_dsc9612.jpg&hash=dec9df2bf34f7319b12dede3c7d707841648f45d)
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(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcartersville-bridge-old-va-45%2F20120927-_dsc9607.jpg&hash=e436cac7466940d98fdcd81a6955b15223d554c5)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcartersville-bridge-old-va-45%2F20120927-_dsc9606.jpg&hash=b466ef3b1a77ea661ff9ea7cfecd629ba015c90e)
: An image of the Cartersville Bridge in the early 1970s. Photograph by the Historic American Engineering Record.
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The Knightly Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/knightly-bridge/) is a single-span, pin-connected Camelback through truss that carries Virginia Route 778 over the Middle River in Augusta County. The first route through the valley was completed by 1865 that connected New Hope, Piedmont and Mount Sidney. An early 19th century dam, constructed to provide waterpower for mills on the south side of the river, may have been the first fixed crossing across the Middle River in the area.
On October 25, 1909, the Knightly Milling Company petitioned the Augusta County Board of Supervisors to have a bridge constructed nar its mills. The petition was referred to the Road Board who made no decision at a meeting on February 28, 1910. The matter was delayed until September 26, when the Board of Supervisors referred Knightly back to the Road Board for a further report and cost estimate. But the bridge was determined either to be too expensive or not a necessity, as the project was postponed for four years until April 23, 1914.
On June 4, the Board of Supervisors approved the construction of the Knightly Bridge after receiving updated cost estimates for an iron span measuring 175-feet long and 16-feet wide to be completed at a cost of no more than $3,000. The one-lane bridge was completed in the spring of 1915 by the Champion Bridge Company of Wilmington, Ohio.
A 2001 inspection noted that the bridge required rehabilitation as the crossing featured isolated cracking, section loss and pitting in the steel and other deterioration. Repairs were completed shortly after, which included a new bridge deck and stringers, and other repairs. The bridge was slated for repainting, but a new coat of paint would not have solved the ongoing issues of crevice corrosion and pack rust. In addition, 2.0 and 25 mils of tightly adhered paint — lead based, was discovered. To compensate, the bridge was given a high pressure water wash cleaning with Chlor*Rid and an overcoat of Termarust high ratio co-polymerized calcium sulfonate coating system in August 2005. No lead paint was removed.
An inspection a year later noted no further corrosion or rust. The use of the Chlor*Rid and Thermarust treatment saved the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) over $63,000.
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Carpenter's Ford Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/carpenters-ford-bridge/) carries Craig Shop Road (Virginia Route 775) over the Middle River in Augusta County. The one-lane Pratt thorugh truss was completed in 1903-1904 by the Brackett Bridge Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The first crossing of the Middle River near John W. Carpenter's farm was established after the Civil War, between 1865 and 1885. A petition for a bridge at Carpenter's Ford was filed in the Augusta County Court by John Carpenter and nearby citizens on June 22, 1903. The petition was referred to the Middle River District Road Board, and on July 30, the board recommended that a fixed crossing be built for no more than $4,500. One-fourth of the cost, or $1,300, would be provided by the petitioners with the remainder provided by the county. The money — most from Carpenter himself, was delivered to the board on August 24.
Construction on the substructure of the bridge began in the fall of 1903. A $1,000 contract for the abutments was let on December 19 to J.T. Muddiman. On January 25, 1904, a $1,825 warrant was ordered issued to the Brackett Bridge Company and superstructure work was completed later that year. In 2001, repair work was completed that included a new deck, stringers and floor beams and a new coat of paint.
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Kerr's Crossing Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/kerrs-crossing-bridge/) is a pony truss bridge over Christians Creek on New Hope-Laurel Hill Road — today's Virginia Route 907 in Augusta County, Virginia. The pin-connected Pratt pony truss was completed in the spring of 1899 by the Brackett Bridge Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.
A road crossed Christian's Creek in the vicinity of the bridge prior to 1865, but it was most likely a ford. V.B. Kerr and others filed a petition to construct a bridge over the creek near Kerr's Mill in the Middle River District Road Board on May 3, 1892. But on April 28, 1893, the court delayed making a decision on the bridge because the finances were stretched thin at that point.
In the fall, the Board heard arguments in favor of the bridge, and the court issued an opinion stating that the bridge was a necessity for the public and for agricultural interests. On October 2, the court approved construction with the requirement that the costs not exceed the Road Board's estimate of $1,902.50. The county contributed $1,742 towards the construction cost, with the remaining $160 sourced from a subscription list.
Construction was slated to begin on October 27, 1893, but county funds were available beginning in 1898 due to the depression of 1893. Kerr's Crossing Bridge was completed at a cost of $2,038.40. The manufacturer stamp on the steel read "Cambria," referring to the Cambria Steel Company of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
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The Mount Meridian Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/mount-meridian-bridge/) was constructed in 1907 by the Champion Bridge Company of Wilmington, Ohio and carried Virginia Route 256 over the Middle River. The three-span, pin-connected Pratt through truss connected Grottoes to Weyers Cave.
The first crossing of the area was at a gristmill on the Middle River opposite of the village of Mount Meridian. The dam and mill had existed prior to 1797, and the location provided an easy fording point for travelers along Snowflake Mill Road, connecting the Valley Turnpike and the Staunton-Port Republic Road. In 1890, Shendun was founded approximately 1.5 miles east and in 1899, the Grottoes Land Company began purchasing large tracts of land for a community centered around industry and tourism — especially of the caves at Weyers and others in the Shenandoah Valley.
A single iron span with masonry abutments and wooden approaches was constructed over the Middle River at Mount Meridian in the 1870s to handle the increasing traffic. It was repaired between July and October 1884 by covering the exposed timbers with metal roofing and applying two coats of paint to the woodwork and one coat to the iron span. Additional repairs were authorized on June 6, 1903 for $156, but just a little over two weeks after, the local Road Board requested an additional $800 to cover additional repairs. But the work did not last long as on October 26, 1906, John G. Fulton, a member of the county of Board of Supervisors and a Mount Meridian native, was ordered to contract for the work necessary to put the crossing back into good repair. Fulton suggested a new bridge, and on November 26, the Board ordered that the matter of repairing the existing span or building a new bridge be referred to the local Road Board.
Just a month later, on December 24, Fulton was authorized to go into contract with the Champion Bridge Company for a new bridge over the Middle River. The new Mount Meridian Bridge was completed on June 27, 1907 for $7,000. Repairs to the abutments were completed in 1912. Other repairs occurred during periodic floods, the last in 1985 that closed the bridge for months. It was reopened after the local community resisted efforts to abandon the span.
In 1967, a new alignment to the north was constructed for Virginia Route 256 as part of the Interstate 81 completion through the county, which included a new crossing of the Middle River. Afterwards, the former alignment was re-designated Virginia Route 769. In 1997, the Mount Meridian Bridge was closed to all traffic due to structural deterioration.
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: An earlier photograph by the Historic American Engineering Record.
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The Mount Meridian Bridge was identified as eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970s. The assessment was reiterated in August 1996 by the Historic Structures Task Group and reconfirmed by the Virginia State Historic Preservation Office and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Commissioner on October 23, 1997. Due to the structural deterioration, repairing and reopening the bridge to automobiles was not recommended by VDOT. Preventive maintenance was found to not be applicable due to the condition. Because of that, selling the bridge to a private owner was not recommended. Because of its location, size and condition, reusing or relocating the bridge was also not feasible. Reusing the bridge for pedestrians was found to be acceptable, given that funds for painting the bridge and repairing the most deteriorated sections could be found. Rehabilitation of the bridge for pedestrian use is eligible for Transportation 75 Enhancement Program funding if there is a match of at least 20% of the cost.
The Chesapeake Western Railway crossing of North River at Stokesville, Virginia was completed in 1901 for the Chesapeake Western Railway (http://www.abandonedonline.net/railroads/chesapeake-western-railway/) (CW). The CW was extended into the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains with the hope of discovering high grade coal, but early mines played out and the railroad served primarily logging interests. The CW was neutered to Mt. Solon in 1930 and then to Bridgewater three years later. The Stokesville Bridge was later reused for a roadway.
More history on the Chesapeake Western Railway (http://www.abandonedonline.net/railroads/chesapeake-western-railway/) can be found at my partner site,
Abandoned.
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I concluded my travel through Virginia with the discovery of the Crab Run Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/virginia/crab-run-bridge-old-us-250/) while traveling westward along US 250 towards West Virginia. The Crab Run span was constructed in 1896 by the West Virginia Bridge Works of Wheeling, West Virginia and carried the Staunton to Petersburg Turnpike in McDowell. The route was a predecessor to US 250, which was constructed in 1927. It was at that time the span was bypassed with a two-lane bridge to the southwest. Eventually, the old alignment was re-designated Virginia Route 645.
The single-span, four-panel pony truss was constructed of railroad and trolley rails, a specification that had been patented by the Lane Bridge Company of Painted Post, New York in 1894. The patent had improved upon a design by Daniel Lane of 1890, which led to stronger connections of the floor and truss beams. The Lane Bridge Company was not the only manufacturer of bridges from rails - other similar truss bridge patents were granted to Jason C. Fenn of Connecticut in 1894 and J.E. Greiner of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) in 1895. Although similar in the use of materials, the trusses for the other patents were configured differently. Rail truss bridges were used by the B&O as the standard bridge for overhead crossings on country roads in 1895, and were also good for spanning small streams by horse and buggies.
Only two bridges of this type were constructed in Virginia, with the Crab Run span the only such type existing in the state. The manufacturer stamp on the rails read "Cambria 1896," referring to the Cambria Steel Company of Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
In 1994, the bridge closed to vehicular traffic due to structural load restrictions. Guardrails and a new wooden bridge deck were added and the span was reopened to pedestrians. The Crab Run Bridge was determined to be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and was listed in 2009. The assessment was reiterated earlier by the Historic Structures Task Group in August 1996, which was confirmed by the Virginia State Historic Preservation Office and the Virginia Department of Transportation Commissioner on October 23, 1997.
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Future updates will include travels through West Virginia, Indiana, Texas and South Korea. Enjoy!
excellent set of posts!
Quote from: Sherman Cahal on October 25, 2012, 09:57:30 AM
To the north, the West Virginia Turnpike had been opened to traffic from Princeton, northeast of Bluefield, to Beckley on September 2, 1954, with the remaining mileage to Charleston opening in November. The two-lane turnpike, nicknamed the "88 Miles of Miracle," was mostly two-lane with provisions for eventual widening. It was not designated Interstate 77 until the modernization of the Turnpike was finished in 1987 that involved widening the turnpike to four-lanes and bypassing a tunnel and bridge with a cut and fill. The total cost was an astronomical $683 million.
this photo is from 1979:
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/WV/WV19790772i1.jpg)
it implies to me that the I-77 designation came in segments as the road was modernized. anyone know for sure?
the section of road in the photo can be narrowed down by noting the US-60 shield in the background.
Quote from: Sherman Cahal on October 25, 2012, 09:57:30 AM
The total cost of the new bridge is estimated to be $11.92 million: $1.5 million for engineering, $293,006 for right-of-way and $10,125,777 for construction.
I always wonder how numbers like "293,006" arise.
"well, he'll want 293000 for his land. and we'll buy him a beer when the papers are signed."
Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 25, 2012, 01:08:37 PM
excellent set of posts!
Quote from: Sherman Cahal on October 25, 2012, 09:57:30 AM
To the north, the West Virginia Turnpike had been opened to traffic from Princeton, northeast of Bluefield, to Beckley on September 2, 1954, with the remaining mileage to Charleston opening in November. The two-lane turnpike, nicknamed the "88 Miles of Miracle," was mostly two-lane with provisions for eventual widening. It was not designated Interstate 77 until the modernization of the Turnpike was finished in 1987 that involved widening the turnpike to four-lanes and bypassing a tunnel and bridge with a cut and fill. The total cost was an astronomical $683 million.
this photo is from 1979:
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/WV/WV19790772i1.jpg)
it implies to me that the I-77 designation came in segments as the road was modernized. anyone know for sure?
the section of road in the photo can be narrowed down by noting the US-60 shield in the background.
That looks like it is in Charleston, based on the overhead gantry in the background. Sad that those were nearly all removed due to vibrations causing the Corten supports weakening.
I have the opening date list at home (and also @ Wikipedia - wrote that article a long time ago) - and the Charleston south segment to Marmet was completed in 1982 and 1984 in two phases. This 1979 photo @ Gribblenation from Michael Summa shows the "To I-77" signage, which was used in place of "North/South" designations.
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It doesn't appear to be all that uniform because the photo you have above is also from Summa in 1979 that shows the "North/South" designation. Note I-64 isn't signed - I don't think it was co-signed at all to Beckley, ending at Charleston because the segment east of Beckley to Sam Black Church did not open until 1988.
That image you posted appears to be at US 60 EB at the trumpet interchange for the old terminus of the Turnpike: http://goo.gl/maps/ckH3h
Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 25, 2012, 01:14:50 PM
Quote from: Sherman Cahal on October 25, 2012, 09:57:30 AM
The total cost of the new bridge is estimated to be $11.92 million: $1.5 million for engineering, $293,006 for right-of-way and $10,125,777 for construction.
I always wonder how numbers like "293,006" arise.
"well, he'll want 293000 for his land. and we'll buy him a beer when the papers are signed."
It's all idiocy on the part of the estimating engineer. Everything should be rounded to hundreds, preferably thousands. It's strict multiplication of some factor - however many square feet times dollar per SF, except you can't be certain because if they'll report 293,006, they'll probably also be measuring in quarters or thirteenths of a foot or something.
West Virginia's Rural Bridges (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/10/29/west-virginias-rural-bridges/)Having explored much of West Virginia, I have surprisingly not posted up as many photographs of their bridges and tunnels as I have of other states. With this update, I take on the task of photographing and documenting many of their rural and historic spans.
I begin in the New River valley with the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Piney Creek Subdivision Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/chesapeake-ohio-railroad-piney-creek-subdivision-new-river-bridge) that spans the New River at Prince. This three-span Parker through truss bridge was constructed by the A&P Roberts Company and Pendoyd Iron Works of Pendoyd, Pennsylvania in 1899 for the C&O's Piney Creek Subdivision. It parallels West Virginia Route 41 and climbs Piney Gorge to a small rail yard at Raleigh.
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Adjacent to the railroad span is the Thomas Buford Pugh Memorial Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/new-river-bridge-wv-41), a two-lane, three-span through-truss that carries West Virginia Route 41 over the New River. The Parker through truss was constructed in 1931.
In September 2011, the bridge weight limit was reduced from 15 tons to 3 tons after a broken structural member was discovered. In addition, a nine-foot vertical clearance was imposed. Official inspections began to held every three months, with various West Virginia Division of Highway (DOH) employees viewing the crack for any movement every few days.
In March 2012, the DOH announced that their preferred option would be to rebuild the bridge on top of the existing piers, which would be cheaper and quicker than building a new bridge at a new location. The new bridge would open in the third quarter of 2013, but would require closing the existing New River span for six to eight months beginning in March 2013. On April 30, the DOH announced that it will construct a replacement span downstream from the existing span, avoiding the need for a 57-mile detour. Construction on the bridge, which would include two-lanes with an eight-foot pedestrian and bike path could take three years, although no start date has been set. The estimated cost is $10.5 million.
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It is unfortunate that I must mention the eventual replacement of two aging Bramwell bridges. I covered one of those bridges earlier in the year (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/01/09/off-the-beaten-path-west-virginia). But thanks to the West Virginia Division of Highways, aesthetics are being taken into consideration (http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/engineering/comment/bramwellbridges/Documents/Handout.pdf) (renderings within the link) and the replacement spans will most likely be trusses painted silver, black or blue depending on the bridge. It looks fantastic.
One of those spans is the Kate Hewltt Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/kate-hewltt-bridge-cr-2020) that carries Mercer County Route 20/20 over the Bluestone River in Bramwell. Constructed in 1915 by the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company of Roanoke, Virginia, the two span riveted and bolted pony truss was built with stone masonry abutments and a reinforced concrete pier. The preferred alternative calls for a new pony truss to be built in-place.
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The other is the Yon-Peraldo Memorial Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/yon-peraldo-memorial-bridge-cr-205) that carries Mercer County Route 20/5/Bloch Street is nearby. Constructed in 1930 by the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company, the bridge consists of two riveted Warren pony trusses supported on stone masonry abutments and a stone masonry solid pier. The preferred alternative calls for a new two-span truss to be built in-place.
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In Bluefield (http://urbanup.net/cities/west-virginia/bluefield-west-virginia/) is the Grant Street Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/grant-street-bridge) that crosses the Norfolk Southern (NS) Railroad Bluefield Yard. The two Warren trusses were completed in 1941 by the Virginia Bridge Company of Roanoke, Virginia and a rehabilitation project was finished on October 28, 1992 by Platnick Steel and Engineering Company of Bluefield, Virginia.
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The bridge affords a great wide vantage point of downtown.
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One of my favorite crossings in the state is the Fayette Station Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/fayette-station-bridge-cr-89) across the New River, connecting the now nonexistent communities of Fayette and South Fayette.
The truss span was contracted out to the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company of Roanoke, Virginia 1in 1889, but the actual builder may have been the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio. The bridge replaced a ferry that connected two burgeoning coal-mining communities founded in 1873 along the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. It was the first vehicular bridge over the New River in Fayette County. The crossing did not become the property of the state until the State Road Commission was formed in 1933.
On March 23, 1978, less than one year after the New River Gorge Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/new-river-gorge-bridge-us-19) (U.S. Route 19) was completed, the Fayette Station Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic due to deteriorating conditions. At the time of its closure, the bridge carried West Virginia State Route 82. Reconstruction of the bridge occurred between 1997 and 1998, and during its refurbishment, the piers were rebuilt and a new bridge deck was installed. Two exterior pedestrian walkways were also constructed.
The Fayette Station Bridge was rededicated on November 8, 1998 as the Tunney Hansaker Bridge and today carries southbound West Virginia Secondary Route 82 over the New.
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Of course, it can't be passed up - but the New River Gorge Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/new-river-gorge-bridge-us-19) is immediately adjacent. The now iconic span carries US 19 over the New River northeast of Fayetteville. It is the largest arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere and the second highest crossing in the United States.
During the late 1960s and 1970s, US 19 was widened to four-lanes south of U.S. Route 60 near Summersville to Beckley and Interstates 64 and 77, and rebuilt as a "super-two" highway north to Interstate 79. The upgraded highway, dubbed Corridor L, allowed north-south traffic to efficiently flow through the central highlands of the state without having to travel through Charleston and without having to use the northern half of the West Virginia Turnpike, a toll road, which was two-lanes and overburdened. The first section, the Oak Hill bypass, was completed in 1965. The section south to US 19 in Raleigh County was opened in 1973, and another segment from Lansing-Edmond Road in Lansing north to the US 60 interchange opened a year later. Further sections north to Interstate 79 were two-lanes and was completed in phases from 1973 to 1978, with a second carriageway added in 1995 to 1996. At the center of Corridor L, however, was the New River gorge, containing depths of 1,000 feet.
To bridge the gorge, the Michael Baker Corporation was given the task by the West Virginia Department of Highways to design a New River crossing for Corridor L. A contract to the American Bridge Division of US Steel was awarded in 1973, with a bid amount of $33,984,000.
Construction began one year later, and a four-tower cable-guiding system was used to help position steel into their respective positions. Originally designed to be a painted arch span, US Steel utilized its then-new Corten weathering steel. Corten steel was a group of steel alloys that obviated the need for paint and would weather into a rust-like appearance after being exposed to the elements for several years. The result was an immediate cost saving of $300,000 and additional savings of $1 million per each time the painted span would need refurbishment. The rust-like appearance also blended better with the natural terrain of the New River gorge.
On October 22, 1977, the New River Gorge Bridge, carrying U.S. Route 19/Corridor L, opened to traffic. Previously, US 19 crossed over New River at Prince, today's West Virginia Route 41. The only other crossings in the vicinity were West Virginia Route 16 (formerly US 21), and the narrow and dangerous West Virginia County Route 82 via the Fayette Station Bridge. The latter took nearly 45 minutes as the roadway was confined to one-lane in some sections. The new span, in comparison, shortened the crossing to just under one minute.
The construction of the bridge also involved the completion of four-lane US 19 from Lansing-Edmond Road south to the Oak Hill bypass.
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Heading south, the Avis Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/main-street-formerly-wv-107) in Hinton (http://urbanup.net/cities/west-virginia/hinton-west-virginia/) formerly carried West Virginia Route 107 over the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad (C&O).
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The Avis Bridge had seemingly early hopes. Hinton had incorporated in 1880 and was becoming a boom town along the C&O due to the shipment of coal, the in-town railroad yard and its associated machine shops. Avis, which was founded a decade later, was connected to Hinton via a steep roadway. A primary route out of the towns to the south was through Avis and across the C&O tracks just outside of the yard, a sometimes dangerous and daunting task as crossing the rail line was tempting fate when the tracks were busy. The addition of the steep grade to Avis did not assist in the matter, as it made the movement of freight difficult during the horse and buggy era — and even afterwards when automobiles began to proliferate. By 1922, a traffic count noted 1,110 automobiles, 1,755 pedestrians, 212 trucks, 180 double horse teams, 53 one horse teams, 70 saddle horses and 12 motorcycles used the busy crossing, which was closed for up to four hours a day by trains.
Seeing the need for an overhead crossing to improve safety and to eliminate delays, the C&O offered $75,000 to construct a steel structure if the county and state would purchase the right-of-way. But while the parties were cooperative early on, differences in alignment and grade allowed for the roadway led to lengthy delays. The first meeting between the C&O and the county and state was held in July 1924, but the state and railroad could not come to an agreement on the location or type of bridge. The railroad preferred an alignment that would have given the roadway a 14% grade, something the state was not interested in. Time passed and the grade crossing of the C&O became more dangerous and congested. In August 1927, the C&O presented a plan with an 11% grade and two sharp curves, which was rejected by the city. The city put forth a proposal for a bridge at the end of Park Avenue, but its location was too far from Avis and the C&O was therefore not interested. At a meeting in September, the C&O asked the council to rescind its action in which the railroad was ordered to build a bridge at Avis according to state plans. The council agreed and a committee was formed to find an outside engineer to work out a plan with the C&O for a bridge over the railroad tracks that would comply with the city, state and railroad's demands.
The C&O met again wit the city on February 1, 1928 and agreed to a plan previously submitted by the state. The railroad agreed to give the city $75,000 and would have no input in the bidding or contracting process. The remainder would be handled by Hinton, who felt that $75,000 would be about half of the actual cost of the actual bridge. The new bridge was proposed at the base of Main and Pleasant Streets. When the contracts were advertised, one of the more notable standouts was the Luten Bridge Company of York, Pennsylvania who visited Hinton to pitch their proposal. The span was designed by Daniel B. Luten, a famous artist and engineer who had a bevy of beautifully built spans under his belt. A contract was awarded to Luten's company on August 7 for $75,556. Construction began within ten days employing 16 to 20. A contract for the approaches was also let to Mirable and Defuria of Welch. The engineers for the bridge project were E.N. Blackwood and C.M. Gilson.
Construction progressed rather smoothly except that the base of the piers had to be constructed further into the earth than originally anticipated. With each passing the day, the bridge — a reinforced concrete through arch, took shape. On June 28, 1929, the bridge was completed with one detail that had been left undone — the ornamental lighting. The design by Luten called for ornamental lighting to be installed at the expense of the city. Conduit and wiring for 14 lights were installed, but the city decided that there was sufficient lighting at each end of the span. With finances a bit tight, the city stated that it would come back and install the ornamental lighting at a later date. The opening day was heralded by many. Thousands came to celebrate the new span, and fireworks were lit during the day. A baseball game was held at the C&O baseball park and speeches were delivered at the Hotel McCreery.
But a local businessman, G.K. Dick of Avis, along with other businessmen, sought an injunction to prevent the closure of the Avis Crossing. A temporary restraining order was granted by Judge C.M. Ward on June 28, 1929 with the case scheduled to be heard in April 1930 in Circuit Court. In a written opinion from February 1, 1930, Ward said that the city had the right to close the crossing, but that if Dick and others had suffered damages or injury, the junction would continue until the amount of damages could be determined by a jury. Because of the injunction, the C&O withheld final payment of $40,000 to the city pending the outcome of the trial. The delay cost the city $200 a month.
The jury, after hearing both sides, deliberated for an hour and a half and sided with Dick for $2,000. The case was appealed to the judge but was promptly overturned, leading the city to appeal to the Supreme Court. On July 30, Ward warned that the injunction would be permanent unless the city paid Dick $2,000. On November 25, the Appellate Court of Charleston wrote that the Circuit Court was without jurisdiction to proceed in the case and wrote that "if the property abutted on a street suffers damage from the action of a part of the street, he is ordinarily limited to an action at law for his compensation." Based on this, the Supreme Court on December 25 vacated the decision by Ward in the Circuit Court.
With that, the at-grade crossing at Avis was closed immediately. The C&O delivered a check in the amount of $40,602.48 on January 23, 1931. The Avis Bridge was in use until 2003 when a new bridge was opened. The ornamental lighting fixtures were never installed.
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I wrap up my West Virginia update with a trip to Durbin to photograph the West Virginia Route 250/2 Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/river-road-bridge-cr-2502) over the East Fork Greenbrier River.
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Enjoy!
Indiana (Part 1)Solving an Indiana mystery, a plea for restoration and other updates (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/11/02/solving-an-indiana-mystery-a-plea-for-restoration-and-other-updates/)Several years ago, I came across Cole's Ford Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/indiana/precinct-school-road-blue-river-bridge) in Harrison County, Indiana and was surprised that this bridge from 1883 was allowed to deteriorate and stand over the Blue River. There was not much to look at or even photograph due to the foliage cover - a wide shot of the trusses and a dead-on photograph was all that I wanted to manage. I didn't want to tempt my fear of heights by walking out onto the old floor beams.
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And I just sat on the photographs for two years, not knowing much more about the bridge until I came across an <em>Indiana Department of Historic Preservation & Archaeology</em> page that listed a completion date of 1883 with some photographs of the span when it had wood planking for a bridge deck. But information was hard to come by, and I did not want to make a trip to Leavenworth's library just to investigate a single bridge without arming myself with some more knowledge of the area's history.
I learned that the bridge was once Indiana State Road 22, a primary route that extended from New Albany west to Leavenworth, Fredonia and Princeton. The first survey of the roadway was started in 1827 and a primitive dirt path opened five years later. But travel was slow - especially at the crossing for the Blue River that was nothing more than a ford.
William M. Ellsworth in September 1869 appeared before the county commissioners in Crawford County and presented a petition to construct a bridge over the river near Cole's Ford. Several were appointed in Crawford and neighboring Harrison County to determine if a bridge was needed, and if so, what type. Four locations were proposed:
- William Rothrock's land, requiring a span 120 feet in length, 48 feet high with two abutments at an approximate cost of $5,000.
- David Cole's land, requiring a span of 140 feet or 170 feet in length, 55 feet high with two abutments at an approximate cost of $6,500.
- At a point below Joe Cole's farm, requiring a span of 125 feet in length, 62 feet high with two abutments at an approximate cost of $6,000.
- Zebulum Leavenworth's farm, requiring a span of 120 feet in length with two pillars, 65 feet high with two abutments at an approximate cost of $8,000.
Two others from Harrison County were submitted as well. In a meeting in March 1870, the county agreed that a span at Cole's ford should be built. The new bridge was ordered to be higher than the high water mark of 1832, with a main span length of at least 100 feet and wide enough for two teams of horses to pass. Bids were opened on October 13, and a contract was awarded to the Julius Barbaraux and Company for $9,810, the lowest bidder. A sub-contract for the superstructure was given to the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio for a wrought iron tubular arch with a main span of 130 feet and a width of 14 feet. The square wrought iron tubular arch was patented by King in 1857, a variant of the bowsting arch that the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio had marketed nationwide. The bridge was to be completed prior to October 15, 1871.
The approaches were built of wood in the form of trestlework that was commonly used for railroads. The new bridge was ready for traffic on December 7, 1871.
Unfortunately, a flood of 1883 did considerable amount of damage to Cole's Ford Bridge. One report said that the bridge collapsed. Because of this, bids were opened for repairs or replacement:
- Smith Bridge Company for $4,155.
- King Bridge Company for $4,325.
- Columbus Bridge Company for $4,512.
- Wrought Iron Bridge Company for $4,223.75.
- Mars Bridge Company for $4,100.
The bids were rejected and re-advertised. This time, lower bids were submitted and a contract was awarded to the Wrought Iron Bridge Company for $2,549. The repaired bridge was to be completed by September 2, 1883. The new bridge consisted of three spans: a pinned Parker through truss with nine panels measuring 165-feet in length and a two span, seven panel pinned Pratt through truss measuring 125.4-feet.
In 1923, the Corydon-Leavenworth-English segment of roadway was designated State Road No. 22, which stretched across the southern tier of Indiana.
A historic flood in the spring of 1937 devastated nearby Leavenworth. That flood, which consumed towns from stretching from Leavenworth to Mt. Vernon, caused some drastic changes. After the flood, more than $700,000 in federal money was expended to mitigate damage, and of that, $130,000 was used to move Leavenworth out of the floodplain. The new town was dedicated on December 16, 1938 by Col. F.C. Harrington, Governor Clifford Townsend and others. As part of the project, a new State Road No. 22, then numbered Indiana Route 62 was constructed east of the town to Corydon due to the Blue River crossing, and to offer a more gentle and modern route east.
As of 1984, the bridge was abandoned and its bridge deck removed by 1987 due to structural deterioration. The span is being studied for restoration into a pedestrian path for hikers, horseback riders and bicyclists for O'Bannon Woods State Park as part of the American Discovery Trail. The trail, which exists within the state park and nearby Harrison-Crawford State Forest, will eventually stretch from the Illinois border to the Ohio border. The estimated cost is $250,000, and one donor has already pledged $100,000 towards the effort.
Indiana has a good record for rehabilitating existing spans. The Bells Branch Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/indiana/bells-branch-road-bridge) is located on Bells Branch Road over Laughery Creek between Dearborn and Ohio counties. Constructed in 1916, the Pratt through truss bridge was completed by the Oregonia Bridge Company of Lebanon, Ohio.
In December 2007, a request for proposal (RFP) for a letter of interest was announced for the rehabilitation of Bells Branch Road Bridge. The RFP estimated the construction cost would be $510,000, with work to include repairing deficiencies in truss members, bridge railings, bering plates and abutments, the replacement of the bridge deck and the repainting of the span. Work began on the rehabilitation project in 2009.
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Nearby was the Cave Hill Arch Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/indiana/cavehill-road-bridge) that carries Cave Hill Road over Laughery Creek in Ripley County. The closed-spandrel arch was constructed in the early 1910s.
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Close by on the same road is a fantastic riveted Parker through truss (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/indiana/cavehill-road-truss-bridge) over Laughery Creek.
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Part 2 is below.
Indiana (Part 2)Onward to some covered crossings. Busching Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/indiana/busching-covered-bridge/) is located on County Route 20 South/East Perry Street east of Versailles. The one-lane covered Howe through truss spans Laughery Creek and was constructed in 1885 by Thomas A. Hardman. Hardman was locally famous for rebuilding many of the covered bridges in Ripley and Dearborn counties that were destroyed during the Civil War by Confederate John Hunt Morgan. The covered bridge was bypassed in 1929 with a closed-spandrel arch. It was rehabilitated in 2005 by CLR Construction of Indiana, with work that included replacing lower chord members, replacing several diagonal bracing components and all of the steel rods that hold the upper and lower chords together with tension. A new standing seam roof was also installed.
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James Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/indiana/james-covered-bridge) is located West County Road 625S in Jennings County and crosses Graham Creek. It is named for Thomas S. James who owned the adjacent property and mill. The bridge is also commonly referred to as the Kissing Bridge, as the names of several of James' children and those that they courted are scribed on the wood inside the truss.
On March 26, 1887, John F. Hayden, Eli Wells and James McManaman, all county commissioners, ordered that a bridge be built at James Ford in Lovett Township. Early on, Robert Carson filed suit to have the bridge built at Carson Ford, a mile upstream, but the lawsuit was filed too late and was quickly dismissed. The James Covered Bridge was proposed to be 130 feet long with a main span of 122 feet and that it be a covered Howe truss with wrought iron tie rods and cast iron angle blocks. In reality, the bridge was built 140 feet long with a main span length of 124 feet.
Construction began shortly by Barron & Hole after and abutments one foot thick and built of native limestone were laid, followed by the erection of the Howetruss which took five to six weeks to finish. Wood was furnished by the James Saw Mill.
In December 2007, a request for proposal (RFP) for a letter of interest was announced for the rehabilitation of James Covered Bridge. The RFP estimated the construction cost would be $403,200.
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The Tobias Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/indiana/tobias-bridge-2) carries County Route 1350 West over Big Creek in Jefferson County. The pin-connected Whipple through truss was constructed in 1885 by the Indianapolis Bridge Company of Indianapolis.
The bridge is located on the former Lexington-Saluda Highway and was a former through route. In 1884, M.J. Tobias and his neighbors had convinced the Jefferson County Commissioners to construct a bridge over Big Creek. Tobias had donated the stone for the abutment. James Walker was hired to construct the substructure who unfortunately discovered quicksand below the bed of Big Creek. After consultations with an engineer, he petitioned to perform additional wet excavation of the creek down to solid rock at a rate of $1 per cubic yard. Over 1,000 cubic yards of limestone was brought in for the task.
The Indianapolis Bridge Company shipped the superstructure in pieces and had it transferred to nearby Deputy by rail. It was divided into 13 panels 12-feet in length, and although in total they weighed 58,000 pounds, it only took two weeks to reassemble the bridge.
By the 2000s, the bridge had deteriorated and its weight limit was only a mere three tons. The bridge was slated for demolition and replacement until County Engineer Jim Olson was notified. He conferred with Greencastle preservationist James Cooper and J.A. Barker of Bloomington to develop a cost estimate for rehabilitation of the bridge. The Tobias Bridge, despite its low weight limit, had a good stone foundation and original ironwork. When the cost estimates came in below expectations, it was decided that the span would be restored instead of demolished.
On October 23, 2004, the rehabilitated Tobias Bridge was unveiled. The 110-year-old crossing was restored for $900,000, or half the cost of a new concrete bridge, with the project designed by J.A. Barker Engineering and actual reconstruction work performed by Gohman Construction Company of Sellersburg. Work included increasing the load capacity of the span and to repair bent or bowed verticals. The decision was made to install additional plates on the outside of each vertical connected with high strength button head bolts that resemble the original hot rivets, to heat strengthen out-of-plane members, welding the lattice railings to modern tubular railings for safety, repairing ornamental portal braces and cleaning and painting the bridge.
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I end with a plea for restoration. The Cedar Grove Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/indiana/cedar-grove-bridge-old-in-1) crosses the Whitewater River in Cedar Grove and formerly carried Indiana Route 1. The historic span could be demolished by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) in 2014 if no reuse plans are set in place. Because of its age and the rarity of the type of bridge, it is eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Bridges.
The two-span, riveted Camelback through truss was constructed in 1914 by the Indiana Bridge Company of Muncie at a cost of $18,975. It replaced an earlier span that was demolished by the 1913 flood. The 386-foot long bridge was divided into two spans each 182 feet in length, with a single pier consisting of two concrete or rubble filled steel caissons ringed with sheet piling.
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In 1978, Indiana Route 1 was rerouted onto a new alignment that bypassed Cedar Grove Bridge and an alignment that hugged the Whitewater River that was the source of frequent slips and repairs. The Cedar Grove Bridge closed to all traffic in 1999 due to structural deterioration. INDOT offered the bridge to Franklin County, but it was not interested in assuming future responsibility for the span.
On June 16, 2011, INDOT submitted an application to the Division of Historical Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA), proposing to demolish the Cedar Grove Bridge via a controlled demolition with detonation. Because of its eligibility to be listed on two national historic registers, DHPA must review and approve of the demolition request. Because of a lack of notice regarding the application, an impromptu meeting was held between Indiana Landmarks, INDOT and Franklin County Citizens for Historic Preservation, along with other residents.
On August 26, 2011, James Barker of J.A. Barker Engineering inspected the truss span on behalf of Indiana Landmarks. He found that the bridge railing was inadequate, the decking in poor condition, portal bracing damaged by truck impact, the lower chord rusting near the bearing seats, a rusted lower lateral bracing and rusted floor beams.
Barker suggested three alternatives for the work:
- Alternative 1: Assuming "sweat equity" by local citizens, the donation of services, or reduced-cost services along with fundraising with no assistance from the county or INDOT. This alternative would involve the most-needed repairs, such as repairing bridge railing and augmenting it with wooden or steel rails for pedestrians, removing the lower lateral bracing, repairing the bridge deck, not repairing the floor beams or wing walls and using the Thermarust system to coat the bearing seat areas and the lower chord.
- Alternative 2: Assuming some funding from INDOT and the transfer of ownership to a local entity. This alternative would involve repairing bridge railing and augmenting it with tubular steel, repairing the portal knee braces, replacing the lower lateral bracing, removing the top layer of boards on the deck due to the new lower lateral bracing, and not repairing the floor beams or wing walls. It also involves using the Thermarust system to coat the bearing seat areas and the lower chord.
- Alternative 3: A complete rehabilitation project with park amenities, assuming INDOT transfers ownership to a local entity and that the entity obtains federal aid funding - typically 20% local, 80% federal. This alternative would involve repairing bridge railing and augmenting it with tubular steel, replacing the bridge deck, strengthening or replacing the floor beams, repairing the portal knee braces, replacing the lower lateral bracing, replacing the lower lateral bracing, repairing the northern wing wall and painting the entire bridge.
According to engineer James Barker who inspected the bridge shortly after the group began meeting, the span is in acceptable to good condition for pedestrian use, and that rehabilitating the span would cost approximately $600,000 for a new wooden bridge deck, cleaning and repainting.
On February 2, 2012, INDOT resubmitted the application for demolition to DHPA. The agency said that while the bridge was eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C, the bridge was not in vehicular use and was not evaluated for Select or Non-Select status. The DHPA staff did agree that the bridge was historic. But because the proposed demolition was 100% state funded, INDOT was not seeking a federal Section 106 review.
In October, INDOT offered Franklin County a deal. The state would pay the county $1.5 million over three years, with the first payment of $500,000 remitted in April 2013. In exchange, the county would assume maintenance of old Indiana Route 1. The money would be used to replace Duck Creek Bridge No. 10 and to maintain old Indiana Route 1.
Unfortunately, the town of Cedar Grove did not show interest in owning the Cedar Grove Bridge, however, the Whitewater Canal Trail (WCT) has expressed interest in owning the crossing as part of a hiking and cycling trail. In return, the county asked that the WCT be able to post a 50-year bond for bridge maintenance and demonstrate proof of insurance.
The demolition of the bridge would cost $195,000, however the county said that demolition costs would only be about $100,000 if the piers were left in place. If a plan is not worked out, bids for demolition could be announced in December 2013.
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Thank you for reading!
Texas (Part 1)Texas' hill country bridges - covering Austin and more (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/11/08/texas-hill-country-bridges/)In the fall of 2010, I was afforded the opportunity to travel to the hill country of Texas where I was not only able to photograph and document the rapid urbanization of Austin, but explore the countryside. For a week, I cycled throughout the entire region, over its many winding roads, Colorado River crossings, urban canyons - and rented a vehicle for one day to travel westward to visit three endangered crossings. Below is a summary of those highlights beginning with Austin.
The South Congress Avenue Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/colorado-river/south-congress-avenue-bridge) spans Lady Bird Lake. It is the fourth iteration of a bridge at that site, and is home to the largest summer colony of Mexican free-tailed bats in the world.
Prior to a fixed bridge, three ferries operated across the Colorado River in Austin: Grumbles' on Barton Creek, Stone's on Waller Creek and Swisher's at Congress Avenue. The first bridge to cross the Colorado was a tolled pontoon bridge at Brazos Street that was completed in 1869. It was destroyed in a flood just eleven months later and the three ferries resumed operations. But the death of Elizabeth Boyd Swisher in 1875 ended one of the three ferries. A permanent, tolled wooden bridge was completed in that year.
The Swishers' owned significant acreage south of the Colorado River for their family farm along the San Antonio Road. Two years after the wooden bridge was completed, the family subdivided 23 acres of their farm for development. Acknowledging the potential for growth in the southern reaches of Austin, Swisher allocated an 120-foot right-of-way through the center of the 23 acres, with the new roadway laid out in a direct line with Congress Avenue on the north side of the river. In 1883, a 120-foot span of the wooden bridge collapsed under the weight of a herd of cattle. Seeing the need for a stronger crossing, the wooden bridge was replaced with an iron crossing constructed by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio that was opened on January 22, 1884 at a cost of $74,000. The span, all privately funded and designed by C.Q. Horton, was high enough to allow for the highest stage of flooding along the Colorado. It was also the first bridge across the Colorado that was not tolled. The Travis County Road and Bridge Company and the city of Austin purchased the bridge on June 18, 1886.
But by 1891, the Travis County Road and Bridge Company refused to accept future maintenance responsibility of the crossing, and negotiated an agreement with the city for it to take over the bridge's operation. The city completed repairs in 1892 and 1897 — the latter which required reflooring the bridge, a task that took until 1901 to complete. The iron truss was repainted a year later.
In 1907, a group of southern Austin businessmen began discussions on replacing the iron bridge due to frequent congestion on the narrow crossing. Plans for a new concrete arch bridge was formalized and a bond was issued in the following year. During construction, the old iron truss was shifted onto temporary piers while the new bridge was built in its place. The new crossing, which included a 50-foot wide span with two interurban railway tracks and overhanging sidewalks, was completed on April 3, 1910 at a cost of $208,950.10. Sections of the old iron bridge were reused in 1915 and 1922 to rebuild the Moore's Crossing Bridge over Onion Creek - which still stands to this day.
In 1956, the South Congress Avenue Bridge's roadway was widened to four lanes to accommodate more automobile traffic. It was widened and rehabilitated again in 1980. Today, the bridge is home to the world's largest urban bat colony consisting of Mexican free-tailed bats. The bats, numbering between 750,000 and 1.5 million, reside under the bridge deck in gaps between the concrete components. The bats are migratory, spending the summers in Austin and winters in Mexico. At dusk, the bats emerge and fly across Lady Bird Lake towards the east for food. The daily ritual attracts as many as 100,000 tourists annually, resulting in an economic impact of $7.9 million per year.
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: From my hotel room.
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: Via kayak.
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: At dusk, showing the massive amounts of bats that flood out of the bridge.
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The South Lamar Boulevard Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/colorado-river/south-lamar-boulevard-bridge-tx-343) also spans Lady Bird Lake and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Constructed from 1940 to 1942, the bridge was the second permanent bridge to cross the Colorado River and featured six open spandrel concrete arches. Significant growth in Austin, especially south of the Colorado River, resulted in the South Lamar Boulevard Bridge becoming overburdened. It featured ten-foot traffic lanes and narrow sidewalks, and no provisions for cyclists. The bridge's location between downtown and a revitalizing Seaholm District, and the ever-growing park system to the south led the city to press for a bond issue.
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In the early 1990s, the city secured $950,000 in matching federal funds to widen the South Lamar Boulevard Bridge as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). In 1995, the city signed a contract with HDR Engineering to study the project alternatives. All six options included various widening projects for South Lamar Boulevard Bridge. Meetings were held with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Texas Historical Commission, the city and others.
Early on, the Texas Historical Commission indicated that it did not want the existing South Lamar Boulevard Bridge altered as it was a historic structure. Attendees of public meetings regarding the bridge project also indicated that adding more lanes to the span was also not an acceptable solution. In March 1998, the city council directed HDR to explore the option of designing a separate pedestrian and bicycle bridge across the Colorado River. Many felt that such a span would not solve the ongoing woes of the South Lamar Boulevard Bridge, but the city believed that it would create a safer crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.
A workshop with key stakeholders was held in May 1998 and fifteen concepts were developed that included cable-stayed, arch and beam bridges, and the relocation of an existing, historical truss bridge. One of the more innovative concepts presented was the "Double Curve" concept that was developed by Chas Tonetti, Tere O'Connell, Jamie Wise, Rush McNair and Chris Hutson. Their concept was based around the "paths of travel." The architect stated that the bridge would have no straight lines and that it would be shaped around an hourglass, which resulted in a curved span with helical ramps and curved connectors.
Four finalized concepts were shown to the city council in September 1998 and the "Double Curve" was selected as the preferred span with only six months left before the matching ISTEA funding would expire.
The site plan for the bridge included,
* Unit A: The southwest ramp, a two-span continuous unit ranging from 86′to 120′constructed of horizontally-curved composite plate girders. with a width of 23′.
* Unit B and C: The southeast ramp, a two-span continuous unit constructed of a 48′ span of composite rolled beams and 111′span of composite plate girders, with a width of 23′.
* Unit D: The central three-span continuous steel plate girder units 114′each, with a variable width of 31.3′to 42′.
* Unit E: A triangular unit with a northeast ramp consisting of a single span unit 104′long and 21′ wide; a single span unit 109′ long and 26′ wide; a single span unit 49′ long and 18′ wide, all constructed of composite plate girders or composite rolled beams.
* Unit F: The northwest ramp, a four-span continuous steel plate girder with two composite steel girders.
* Unit G: A continuation of the northwest ramp, a nine-span, conventionally-reinforced concrete slab and T-beam unit. The combination of Units F and G resulted in a free flow crossing over West Cesar Chavez Street.
The construction contract was bid twice. The first round included four bidders who were all heavy bridge construction contractors and all exceeded the maximum budget for the project. That forced the city to eliminate Units F and G, the northwest ramp, from consideration from initial construction and the bids were released for the second time. Only two bidders put in estimates and a contract was awarded to Jay-Reese Contractors of Austin in April 2000.
Groundbreaking occurred on May 15, 2000 and the bridge was completed ahead of schedule on June 16, 2001. A grand opening celebration was held that included hundreds of runners. The bridge was named the James D. Pfluger Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/colorado-river/pfluger-bridge) in honor of the Agustin architect who conceived the trail system on both sides of Town Lake.
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Construction began on March 15, 2010 on Units F and G which had been eliminated in the initial bidding process. The project involved the closure of West Cesar Chavez Street in order to build the overpass in one weekend. The 207′ extension was completed in February 4, 2011 at a cost of $3.5 million. Minor work continued until March 1. The extension featured Brazillian hardwood railing called Ipe Ironwood, 32 directional lights and landscaping.
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An extension of the bike path north under the Union Pacific Railroad is under the planning stages. Work on the underpass has been estimated to cost $900,000 for engineering and $4.5 million for construction. The underpass is designed to be 15 feet wide and several yards long, but the project will involve the relocation of several hundred feet of railroad track. As part of the project, the city has proposed a bridge over West 2nd Street.
Nearby is the South 1st Street Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/colorado-river/south-1st-street-bridge) that was constructed in 1951. The span was last rehabilitated in 1992.
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Part 2 is below.
Texas (Part 2)The Missouri Pacific Railroad bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/colorado-river/missouri-pacific-colorado-river-bridge) over the Colorado was constructed in 1936.
The first crossing of the bridge was the International — Great Northern Railroad (IGN) that existed from Hearne to Longview. It was extended to Rockdale in 1874 and south Austin on December 28, 1876. The first bridge over the Colorado River was a wrought-iron double intersection Pratt through truss built on limestone piers that was completed in 1881. Jay Gould acquired control of the IGN and the company was leased to the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company (MK&T, Katy) for a period of 99 years beginning on June 1, 1881. The lease was cancelled on March 2, 1888 and the line remained the IG&N until May 1, 1901 when it became a part of the Calvert, Waco & Brazos Valley Railroad (CW&B).
The Colorado River bridge was partially replaced in 1904 when the superstructure was removed and replaced with the current plate girder superstructure. The work shortened the original span length with the addition of new concrete piers.
The CW&B was put into receivership in 1908 and a new company, the International & Great Northern Railway Company (I&GN) purchased the foreclosed company in 1911. This lasted until 1922 when a new company was chartered — the International — Great Northern Railroad Company (IGN).(1) The new IGN became a part of Missouri Pacific (MP) in January 1925 when the MP sought out the railroad after it was nearly taken over by a rival — the St. Louis — San Francisco Railway. The IGN and MP were independent operations until March 1, 1956 when the the IGN was sold to the MP. In 1981, the MP was merged with the Union Pacific Railroad.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmissouri-pacific-colorado-river-bridge%2F20111021-_dsc1666.jpg&hash=7b120584172524651e96cf17ce660a89079d7cee)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmissouri-pacific-colorado-river-bridge%2F20111021-_dsc1704.jpg&hash=988320dc9650e4a297206e05e5c2e83020d37e21)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmissouri-pacific-colorado-river-bridge%2F20111021-_dsc1722.jpg&hash=8a5dd6a4d0c430ae92a1a7595c51118316ded209)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmissouri-pacific-colorado-river-bridge%2F20111021-_dsc1730.jpg&hash=d1d51e4f458b14e89ea74ff0c29e27aec1bbc2e3)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmissouri-pacific-colorado-river-bridge%2F20111021-_dsc1742.jpg&hash=6e6df6d3bb59e5a3374167882d6a2c352cc54263)
Nearby is the Katy Railroad trestle and the Lance Armstrong Bikeway (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/texas/missouri-pacific-railroad-and-south-3rd-street-bike-path-bridge) across Shoal Creek in downtown.
The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad also known as the Katy, constructed a mainline branch to Austin that opened on July 14, 1904. It split from the Katy main at Granger, proceeding southwest to Austin and San Antonio. In 1925, the Shoal Creek timber trestle was reconstructed. The new bridge featured eleven spans with walkways on the north and south sides of the crossing.
In July 1964, the Katy lost a contract to a trucking firm to carry mail for the U.S. Postal Service. That resulted in the discontinuation of passenger service — which carried mail, from Dallas to San Antonio. In 1976, the Katy was abandoned from Georgetown south to Pershing at the junction with Austin Western Railroad, and the line through downtown Austin was disused some time after 1988.
The Lance Armstrong Bikeway, a major east-west cycling route, was first proposed in 1999 by local cycling advocate Eric Anderson. It was recommended by the Urban Transportation Commission, the Planning Commission, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Environmental Board in July. On October 26, 2000, the city council approved an advanced funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for the Austin Crosstown Bikeway, and was awarded $3,203,163 in federal funds from the Statewide Transportation Enhancements Program funds. Planning began in December. The federal funds provided 62% of the construction cost, with the city paying the remainder.
On July 27, 2006, the city authorized an endorsement agreement with Lance Armstrong for the bikeway to be named the Lance Armstrong Bikeway. Construction on the bike path began in June 2007.
Today, the South 3rd Street Bike Path carries the Lance Armstrong Bikeway. The UP west of the Austin Convention Center to Tower 205 by the Colorado River Bridge has been dismantled, although there are plans to rebuild the line for passenger service. The Shoal Creek trestle was rated structurally deficient and is scheduled to be rebuilt with a 44-foot span for two light rail tracks that would also carry two automobile lanes and a pedestrian path. Preliminary engineering plans began in January 2010.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmissouri-pacific-railroad-and-south-3rd-street-bike-path-bridge%2F20111022-_dsc1925.jpg&hash=bec702fa1492098811d2664c63b9ce35b9d15101)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmissouri-pacific-railroad-and-south-3rd-street-bike-path-bridge%2F20111022-_dsc1924.jpg&hash=c76bd67b68762be8c114b66fdc5bf601cbd4c1e5)
One of my long cycling journeys took me to the hill country west of central Austin. I biked Texas Loop 360, also known as the Capital of Texas Highway, across Lake Austin and the Colorado River. The Pennybacker Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/colorado-river/north-capital-of-texas-highway-tx-360) is named for Percy Pennybacker who designed bridges for the Texas Highway Department and who was a pioneer in the technology of welded structures.
Construction on the bridge began in late 1979 when the contract was let to Clearwater Constructors of Denver, Colorado. The erection of the steel was completed by Bristol Steel of Bristol, Virginia and was complete by July 1982. The bridge utilized U.S. Steel's Corten steel which produces a weathered rust finish to blend in with the surrounding terrain and rock outcroppings. Over 600 million tons of steel was used in the bridge, and 3,400 short tons of concrete was used in the bridge deck. The four-lane crossing was dedicated on November 29, 1982 by Austin mayor Carole McClellan and opened to traffic on December 3 at a cost of $10 million. It was the second bridge of its type in the world at the time of its completion. The Pennybacker Bridge received the 1984 Federal Highway Administration's Excellence in Highway Design award and in 1992, the Austin members of the Consulting Engineers Council of Texas selected the bridge as the most innovative example of Austin architecture.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorth-capital-of-texas-highway-tx-360%2F20111027-_dsc2280.jpg&hash=e0f1e264a087b7c757e914ef8931fa8ed7f34e92)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorth-capital-of-texas-highway-tx-360%2F20111027-_dsc2275.jpg&hash=32e95ccf1d7df1ffc2ee9c7aaa2fb878346778a5)
I completed a 75 mile loop through the hill country, which was much more rugged than I had imagined. Along the way, I came across a low water crossing (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/colorado-river/low-water-crossing-old-texas-ranch-road-620-bridge) over the Colorado for Texas Ranch to Market Road 620 that was constructed in 1938. The concrete tee-beam bridge was bypassed in 1942.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flow-water-crossing-old-texas-ranch-road-620-bridge%2F20111027-_dsc2264.jpg&hash=b06425f3f0a92b8fbbfdfb850187e07d4a36ab01)
In 1936, Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and the United States Bureau of Reclamation chose a site 20 miles upstream from Austin for a primary flood control dam for the river. The construction contract was awarded to the Brown & Root company and a groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 19, 1937 in the wild and remote ranch lands of central Texas. By January 1941, the generators went into operation at the hydroelectric plant that was a part of the project and the dam was finished in May 1942. This included the relocation of Texas Ranch to Market Road 620 to the top of the dam (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/colorado-river/mansfield-dam-road-old-tx-ranch-road-620). In 1995, the Mansfield Dam crossing was bypassed with a four-lane alignment to the south. After September 11, 2001, all traffic was restricted on the dam; it is now open only to service vehicles.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmansfield-dam-road-old-tx-ranch-road-620%2F20111027-_dsc2271.jpg&hash=3b78718bbc3fee1451033b561b4533ddb9906b5d)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmansfield-dam-road-old-tx-ranch-road-620%2F20111027-_dsc2270.jpg&hash=916f0f33d098059649d525398d7872605577ab48)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmansfield-dam-road-old-tx-ranch-road-620%2F20111027-_dsc2268.jpg&hash=774ddce7f48df4993d4cca3322865540ca647a70)
The 1995 bypass (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/colorado-river/texas-ranch-road-620-bridge).
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ftexas-ranch-road-620-bridge%2F20111027-_dsc2273.jpg&hash=2eca0e20d650282936ccb2b29ca5cfc417eca40e)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ftexas-ranch-road-620-bridge%2F20111027-_dsc2267.jpg&hash=71b9ea22846b323ff823cc9ffd0bb4f24db7662a)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ftexas-ranch-road-620-bridge%2F20111027-_dsc2266.jpg&hash=562a09f98b5d6d6d8e61f06e1144b109f67bc6cf)
l rented out a Jeep and headed west. Along the way, I came across the Lick Creek Ranch Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/texas/lick-creek-ranch-bridge-tx-71) on Texas Route 71 at Lick Creek Ranch that crosses the Pedernales River. The lengthy deck truss was constructed in 1949 as a two-lane roadway. In 1986, Texas Route 71 was widened to four-lanes and the bridge was widened with an accompanying conventional girder crossing.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flick-creek-ranch-bridge-tx-71%2F20111027-_dsc2176.jpg&hash=e971ba6859511c0426fe5dd4a6ab261674001200)
I also came upon the historic Buchanan Dam Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/colorado-river/buchanan-dam-bridge-old-tx-29) on former Texas Route 29 that crosses the Colorado River between Burnet and Llano counties.
Initial planning for the Colorado River bridge came in 1929 when the Texas Highway Department (THD) was studying various routes for Texas Route 29 in the Buchanan Dam region. The dam's construction was not yet underway, but the THD understood that the existing roadway would be underwater by 1937. Bids were released in November 1936 and a contract was awarded to the Austin Bridge Company of Dallas for $182,000 and construction began on February 4, 1937. THD chose to use four 200-foot riveted Parker through trusses built by the Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Company of Des Moines, Iowa that rested on solid, reinforced concrete piers and eleven I-beam girder approach spans fabricated by the North Texas Iron & Steel Company of Fort Worth that were placed on concrete bents. The railings were custom designed and were built of steel channel rails attached to curved-top posts. The posts were built from steel railroad cross ties that were modified by cutting, bending and welding them to form a curved top.
Construction was completed on September 30, 45 days ahead of schedule and at a cost of $188,000. The federal contribution via BPR was $94,000. The crossing was dedicated on October 16 as part of the dedication ceremony for the Buchanan and Inks dams. It included an address by U.S. Public Works Administrator Harold L. Ickes and Texas Highway Commissioner Robert Lee Bobbitt.
The Colorado River bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 10, 1996 and was bypassed in 2003 with a 1,530-foot steel girder crossing. Currently, the crossing is open to pedestrians. It remains one of four highway trusses with lenticular nosing that survive in the state.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbuchanan-dam-bridge-old-tx-29%2F20111027-_dsc2226.jpg&hash=f2b3805bac0137c4028752ef9d8b546bcf24fb42)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbuchanan-dam-bridge-old-tx-29%2F20111027-_dsc2222.jpg&hash=43cedf4cf2be00052c6c766f1c66c3acc46e5e71)
Part 3 is below.
Texas (Part 3)The Marble Falls Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/colorado-river/marble-falls-bridge-us-281) over the Colorado River carries US 281 and was constructed in 1936. A bridge was first constructed at this location in 1891 but was destroyed in a flood in June 1935. A ferry operated across the river until the cantilever deck truss was constructed in 1936.
Planning for a replacement span over the Colorado was first discussed in 2005 when the Texas Department of Transportation began communications with the city of Marble Hills. In November 2009, funding for the $30.1 million project was secured and ground was broken on October 25, 2010 for the Marble Falls Bridge replacement project, and construction began in November. The Marble Falls Bridge replacements were designed by FINLEY Engineering Group for Archer-Western Contractors of Arlington.
The new bridges, one for southbound traffic and the other for northbound, will be a three-span variable depth cast-in-place segmental bridge with spans of 274-feet, 410-feet and 274-feet with a deck width of 47-feet. The box depth will vary from 23-feet at the interior piers to 6-foot, 6-inches at the end spans with variable superelevation of up to 5.5%. It is being constructed using the balanced cantilever construction method with the end spans constructed on falsework and consist of 5,000 cubic yards of concrete with a weight of 11,000 tons.
The deck will support a 10-foot outside shoulder, a 3-foot inside shoulder, a six-foot sidewalk, a one-foot barrier from the sidewalk to the travel lanes and two one-foot outside rails.
The first bridge is scheduled to be finished in the fall of 2012 as part of phase one. In phase two, the old bridge will be cut apart and removed and replaced by an identical span that was constructed in the first phase, which is projected to be completed by 2014. The estimated project cost is $28.6 million.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmarble-falls-bridge-us-287%2F20111027-_dsc2187.jpg&hash=cdcf571ac62f14725040f62f8cb9f03da127c2f1)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmarble-falls-bridge-us-287%2F20111027-_dsc2202.jpg&hash=13735d6a9031a7797bd220e13b4b50196c0356ba)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmarble-falls-bridge-us-287%2F20111027-_dsc2194.jpg&hash=39dcad248b771e3463ed0365980775c5a1a09fc7)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmarble-falls-bridge-us-287%2F20111027-_dsc2204.jpg&hash=77b945895c38c0962987faed2a9de3bdc623268c)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmarble-falls-bridge-us-287%2F20111027-_dsc2207.jpg&hash=ede5761d75c5075394302ee734c4ef09325ae84f)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmarble-falls-bridge-us-287%2F20111027-_dsc2210.jpg&hash=5717e3e8a61f017088a691d0147e7e8f4be9f968)
I ended the trip with a visit to two rural abandoned bridges. The Joppa Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/texas/joppa-road-bridge-cr-272) is located on Joppa Road (CR 272) in Burnet County. The span, also known as the Middle Gabrial Iron Bridge, was constructed in 1911 by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Company of Leavenworth, Kansas. It was bypassed in 2005.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjoppa-road-bridge-cr-272%2F20111027-_dsc2256.jpg&hash=65c609098a0c213418b779fee01796f02a4f92e9)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjoppa-road-bridge-cr-272%2F20111027-_dsc2252.jpg&hash=0cd4b839aa5d5d5ce982ac1308600fa09fd74bcf)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjoppa-road-bridge-cr-272%2F20111027-_dsc2253.jpg&hash=0c313f52f6eb36225e49fd79694c61e10e95250c)
The last bridge was a bit of a shocker to discover. How this span was able to remain standing with any sort of traffic is beyond my belief. The Shady Grove Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/texas/shady-grove-road-bridge-cr-200) is located on Shady Grove Road (CR 200) in Burnet County. The pin-connected Pratt through truss was constructed in 1907 and bypassed with a new span in 2000.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fshady-grove-road-bridge-cr-200%2F20111027-_dsc2228.jpg&hash=3dc5fe1cd5b6c97bd1dce07f0bd1c529f7e38c93)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fshady-grove-road-bridge-cr-200%2F20111027-_dsc2231.jpg&hash=6c6acc0bfbbb46c7c1d3d7bb50ff133f4048f486)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fshady-grove-road-bridge-cr-200%2F20111027-_dsc2235.jpg&hash=42fc46f2f7dc31742dc96246ff3b1004399b0b83)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fshady-grove-road-bridge-cr-200%2F20111027-_dsc2237.jpg&hash=014179a98ccb29f229ef5f4ca791d71d7b293d7b)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fshady-grove-road-bridge-cr-200%2F20111027-_dsc2239.jpg&hash=915fba9d4859cbe8e9700c49b156f1995f6be9bd)
The piers look fine, right?
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fshady-grove-road-bridge-cr-200%2F20111027-_dsc2242.jpg&hash=92015816d5e9fe2e9ebe9bc32dbe5f4fce4a3c77)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fshady-grove-road-bridge-cr-200%2F20111027-_dsc2248.jpg&hash=2555a80c543767a8f27daadaf9d9ac41f3439d32)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fshady-grove-road-bridge-cr-200%2F20111027-_dsc2246.jpg&hash=a270e97125fa76e1c1f9ea0263045ace3b6f0e37)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fshady-grove-road-bridge-cr-200%2F20111027-_dsc2245.jpg&hash=a950e87c46f6aad423d8ff29c0103e30424f6b63)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fshady-grove-road-bridge-cr-200%2F20111027-_dsc2249.jpg&hash=b49c460119f020e0b5ee9149577026efd175922a)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fshady-grove-road-bridge-cr-200%2F20111027-_dsc2251.jpg&hash=a4eb0ced1b43d5a3b6fdac58fbf280d815c608ce)
With that, I conclude my Texas infrastructure photography for at least the next year. Look for future updates from South Korea and West Virginia later this month and into December!
A Busy Holiday (http://bridgestunnels.com/2013/01/31/a-busy-holiday/)
It has been a busy holiday season at Bridges and Tunnels, involving some exhausting travels through small town Appalachia, work in the rustbelt of northeast Ohio, the rural farmlands of eastern Indiana and the snowy adventures in the highlands of West Virginia.
I began my holiday trips with a visit to several historic spans in Indiana on what was arguably one of the coldest days of the month. The lighting was also weak, buried under a heavy overcast, and it was lightly snowing. There was little snow cover, though. Armed with convenience store coffee, I trekked to my first stop, the Moscow Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/indiana/moscow-covered-bridge/) in Moscow. Constructed in 1886 by Emmet L. Kennedy, the two-span Burr Arch truss over Flatrock River was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. A F3 tornado did considerable damage to the crossing on the evening of June 3, 2008 and was rebuilt in 2010 with new and salvaged materials by Dan Collom & Sons.
The new Moscow Covered Bridge was dedicated on September 25, 2010.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmoscow-covered-bridge%2F20121202-_dsc4797.jpg&hash=4f9cfff5ab14b8c58707c936be32c2bc515dd40f) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/moscow-covered-bridge/20121202-_dsc4797.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmoscow-covered-bridge%2F20121202-_dsc4790.jpg&hash=c65ebb37bdf89ac29e65f7f1e62ea192bf5c2ffa) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/moscow-covered-bridge/20121202-_dsc4790.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmoscow-covered-bridge%2F20121202-_dsc4784.jpg&hash=61be36724209d24850cedbc7da4d9f651a2b0282) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/moscow-covered-bridge/20121202-_dsc4784.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmoscow-covered-bridge%2F20121202-_dsc4775.jpg&hash=6728cb26db4ad8eebef039480d527a9252f91a9d) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/moscow-covered-bridge/20121202-_dsc4775.jpg)
Nearby was the Forsythe Mill Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/indiana/forsythe-mill-covered-bridge/). Constructed in 1888 by Emmet L. Kennedy, the single-span Burr Arch truss is named for Asa Forsythe who owned the Hungerford Mill from 1870 to 1884.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fforsythe-mill-covered-bridge%2F20121202-_dsc4805.jpg&hash=7e491146e1944468a946b3cb6ef48b16bc147bb4) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/forsythe-mill-covered-bridge/20121202-_dsc4805.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fforsythe-mill-covered-bridge%2F20121202-_dsc4800.jpg&hash=a7d44b843d13b1a7e35a3ec6117ab1893f9e9a12) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/forsythe-mill-covered-bridge/20121202-_dsc4800.jpg)
The Norris Ford Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/indiana/norris-ford-covered-bridge/) was constructed in 1916 by Emmet L. Kennedy, and the one-span Burr Arch truss was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorris-ford-covered-bridge%2F20121202-_dsc4866.jpg&hash=dcd1133c442a792e6f5481cefcb76e43e9545f0b) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/norris-ford-covered-bridge/20121202-_dsc4866.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorris-ford-covered-bridge%2F20121202-_dsc4862.jpg&hash=6e2dc3071c65d4969276542e2ac5f2e8c21448f6) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/norris-ford-covered-bridge/20121202-_dsc4862.jpg)
Just as old, the Milroy Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/indiana/milroy-bridge-old-in-3/) formerly carried North Railroad Street and IN 3 over the Little Flat Rock River in Milroy. The pinned Pratt through truss was constructed in 1901 by the New Castle Bridge Company of New Castle and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. The abandoned span remains one of three Pratt trusses built by New Castle. The company was merged into the Central States Bridge Company of Indianapolis in 1905.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilroy-bridge-old-in-3%2F20121202-_dsc4812.jpg&hash=da35e4df3c48d057e8b938b2e3d4e1c1ade227a3) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/milroy-bridge-old-in-3/20121202-_dsc4812.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilroy-bridge-old-in-3%2F20121202-_dsc4815.jpg&hash=6043126f2d7ac423498750fc65ebdf6a4b0688e5) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/milroy-bridge-old-in-3/20121202-_dsc4815.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilroy-bridge-old-in-3%2F20121202-_dsc4816.jpg&hash=2768f098b6dab1b17c5a344b5c2c1b63eac90071) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/milroy-bridge-old-in-3/20121202-_dsc4816.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilroy-bridge-old-in-3%2F20121202-_dsc4817.jpg&hash=182f49b9f002805ae0b5c5fa75e561d56d11ce15) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/milroy-bridge-old-in-3/20121202-_dsc4817.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilroy-bridge-old-in-3%2F20121202-_dsc4818.jpg&hash=f63b59c637838cccbdb1288093998d9259b9b7cf) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/milroy-bridge-old-in-3/20121202-_dsc4818.jpg)
Below: The bridge deck is in poor structural condition.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilroy-bridge-old-in-3%2F20121202-_dsc4814.jpg&hash=93b9543fbe6573f838ca5a1282ee25cf42283237) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/milroy-bridge-old-in-3/20121202-_dsc4814.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmilroy-bridge-old-in-3%2F20121202-_dsc4843.jpg&hash=5cedcf0edafa751a08ea0e9093912138af7a8d7f) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/milroy-bridge-old-in-3/20121202-_dsc4843.jpg)
I ventured into Appalachia to visit several small towns to document the courthouses and notable downtown structures for my partner site, UrbanUp (http://urbanup.net). I did come across an interesting concrete arch bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/university-of-the-cumberlands-arch-bridge/) on the University of the Cumberlands campus in Williamsburg, Kentucky. Designed by Manley & Young and constructed by the L.W. Hancock company in 1920, this span was recently rehabilitated.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Funiversity-of-the-cumberlands-arch-bridge%2F20121216-_dsc5957.jpg&hash=090ce0c53ddb6c0576354e3e81d24fb607adaec0) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/university-of-the-cumberlands-arch-bridge/20121216-_dsc5957.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Funiversity-of-the-cumberlands-arch-bridge%2F20121216-_dsc5955.jpg&hash=2a7112c6595e0ee0f62f5674cf3bd3a11f0a5563) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/university-of-the-cumberlands-arch-bridge/20121216-_dsc5955.jpg)
Closer to my hometown, the Bennetts Mill Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/bennetts-mill-covered-bridge/) is located in Greenup County near KY 7. After a decent, wet snowfall, I braved the slushy and snow covered roads to visit this oft-admired beauty.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbennetts-mill-covered-bridge%2F20121229-_dsc7071.jpg&hash=4d26f486d7b227fcaa40930d2768ede745cf1afe) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/bennetts-mill-covered-bridge/20121229-_dsc7071.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbennetts-mill-covered-bridge%2F20121229-_dsc7067.jpg&hash=f5236f8e33052b4e69610754eedddabae1f5da20) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/bennetts-mill-covered-bridge/20121229-_dsc7067.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbennetts-mill-covered-bridge%2F20121229-_dsc7072.jpg&hash=73384268a42bba4790a5aa24e9fc7a0a38b5fd9c) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/bennetts-mill-covered-bridge/20121229-_dsc7072.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbennetts-mill-covered-bridge%2F20121229-_dsc7083.jpg&hash=6a5d45366348e93aa912e13f1f984b7ff26ab719) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/bennetts-mill-covered-bridge/20121229-_dsc7083.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbennetts-mill-covered-bridge%2F20121229-_dsc7100.jpg&hash=d2c949b83e74726e62bc0cd9524ba82f1e833758) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/bennetts-mill-covered-bridge/20121229-_dsc7100.jpg)
That concludes the first update to Bridges & Tunnels for this new year. Stay tuned for some varied spans from South Korea in the next post!
A Cold Cincinnati Sunset (http://bridgestunnels.com/2013/02/03/a-cold-cincinnati-sunset/)
The winter of 2012 and 2013 in Cincinnati has been unusually bitter, with temperatures well below normal for much of December and January. It has also led to more precipitation, thankfully in the form of snow, that has allowed for more varied photographic settings.
But the evening of February 1 was just cold, with a wind chill of below five degrees Fahrenheit due to a strong easterly wind and mercury that did not rise above 20. And yet I sat and waited for the sun to set alongside the rising Ohio River in Newport, Kentucky. There was not a soul walking across the Purple People Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/purple-people-bridge/), only rush hour traffic dashing across the adjacent Taylor-Southgate Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/taylor-southgate-bridge-us-27/). During the milder months, the Purple People Bridge would be teeming with walkers and cyclists.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fpurple-people-newport-southbank-bridge%2F20130201-_dsc9483.jpg&hash=50e6239e835768b747c76d0a30ec8e8cd209cb3a)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fpurple-people-newport-southbank-bridge%2F20130201-_dsc9505.jpg&hash=790e199f3447eec1de5d3ee60f74b05d9bd2bc01)
Cincinnati's newest skyscraper, Queen City Square (http://urbanup.net/cities/ohio/cincinnati-ohio/downtown/queen-city-square/), basks in the evening sunlight.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fpurple-people-newport-southbank-bridge%2F20130201-_dsc9487.jpg&hash=bc12a1332826b98863e64348cf43a9406a845159)
Here is to warmer days!
Sunset Over the Ohio (http://bridgestunnels.com/2013/02/17/sunset-over-the-ohio/)
The sun sets along the Ohio River over the Carl D. Perkins Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio-river/carl-d-perkins-bridge-truck-us-23-oh-852/) between South Portsmouth, Kentucky and West Portsmouth, Ohio. The two-lane cantilever bridge was completed in 1988 and is named after Carl Perkins, a former U.S. representative from eastern Kentucky who was first elected in 1948.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F02%2F20130120-_DSC8647-Edit.jpg&hash=1d2c276af001ade8904bd9e5ad8fc1155ad9cb5a) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/20130120-_DSC8647-Edit.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcarl-d-perkins-bridge-truck-us-23-oh-852%2F20130120-_dsc8646-edit.jpg&hash=fd7c6b1dd115d1a86bc7cf20b15183da63926cae) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/carl-d-perkins-bridge-truck-us-23-oh-852/20130120-_dsc8646-edit.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcarl-d-perkins-bridge-truck-us-23-oh-852%2F20130120-_dsc8613.jpg&hash=02638ffdc1838a63dcfb8d577bce1fefa78bce69) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/carl-d-perkins-bridge-truck-us-23-oh-852/20130120-_dsc8613.jpg)
A Winter Drive (http://bridgestunnels.com/2013/03/02/a-winter-drive/)
The winter of 2012 and 2013 has so far not been a disappointment, with more measured snowfalls than average and colder temperatures that has left southern Ohio and northern Kentucky blanketed with wet, sticky accumulation on more than a handful of occasions. Taking advantage of a weekend of snow squalls and mild winds, I packed my camera bag and hopped into my all-wheel-drive Subaru for a spin out into the country.
For a sleepy Saturday, I ventured into Brown County and revisited the Brown Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/brown-covered-bridge). Constructed in 1878, this Smith covered truss is located north-northeast of New Hope along New Hope-White Oak Station Road. It's not the most photogenic, owing to its less than manicured appearance and the presence of graffiti, but it is standing and in good condition.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbrown-covered-bridge%2F20130202-_dsc9506.jpg&hash=f5b8c2b36b6cdc44e12ebf8509176e980dc16514) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/brown-covered-bridge/20130202-_dsc9506.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fbrown-covered-bridge%2F20130202-_dsc9525.jpg&hash=3dea8779092fd6184541f7a9bc2ec35c58a7ca7b) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/brown-covered-bridge/20130202-_dsc9525.jpg%5B/url)
To the south is the abandoned New Hope Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/new-hope-bridge-old-us-68/) that once carried US 68 across White Oak Creek in New Hope. Constructed in 1884 by the Lomas Forge and Bridge Works of Cincinnati, Ohio, the Whipple through truss was bypassed in 1960 with a new two-lane alignment. As reiterated in a previous post (http://bridgestunnels.com/2012/07/10/revisiting-southern-ohio), the flooring on the bridge is in poor condition and would not be advisable to walk across, so I admired the span from a distance.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnew-hope-bridge-old-us-68%2F20130202-_dsc9556.jpg&hash=8233d1b0ea2fbfac649df18db13ffc658342d404) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/new-hope-bridge-old-us-68/20130202-_dsc9556.jpg%5B/url)
I first came across the George Miller Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/george-miller-covered-bridge) on George Miller Road a few years ago, but I could not locate the photographs to share on this web-site. But upon this revisit, trekking down snow covered roads and through barren fields of white is this Smith through-truss over West Fork of Eagle Creek. It was constructed in 1879 by John Griffith, agent and foreman of the Smith Bridge Company.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fgeorge-miller-covered-bridge%2F20130202-_dsc9583.jpg&hash=f8fc5c7dc3c55723dd56ec416042dd7f254af928) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/george-miller-covered-bridge/20130202-_dsc9583.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fgeorge-miller-covered-bridge%2F20130202-_dsc9596.jpg&hash=1ad9be2bc3991f06150a2fde20c0db0d07fedc9c) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/george-miller-covered-bridge/20130202-_dsc9596.jpg%5B/url)
The Kirker Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/kirker-covered-bridge) is located alongside OH 136 in Adams County. Constructed in 1890, the multiple Kingpost through truss crosses the East Fork Eagle Creek. The span was renovated and reinforced with steel rods in 1950 and when it was bypassed in 1974, the covered bridge was the second-to-last span of its type on the Ohio state highway system.
It is unfortunately not all that photogenic to photograph, given its proximity to the new alignment and the lack of vegetation on the western facade. Perhaps it would be more scenic with leaves on the trees or with fall color.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fkirker-covered-bridge%2F20130202-_dsc9617.jpg&hash=0f5450bf141c0c53e40bd160376b25a214a401e4) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/kirker-covered-bridge/20130202-_dsc9617.jpg%5B/url)
The North Pole Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/north-pole-covered-bridge) is more isolated, located along North Pole Road (CR 13) over Eagle Creek in Brown County. Constructed in 1875, the Smith covered through truss was rehabilitated in 1965, but was damaged in flash flooding in 1997. It's isolated location lends to more vandalism for the covered span, including graffiti, but it is otherwise unmarred.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorth-pole-covered-bridge%2F20130202-_dsc9630.jpg&hash=8cf293cfac3802457f7c18dc4b7575c2a55f3f6b) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/north-pole-covered-bridge/20130202-_dsc9630.jpg%5B/url)
The Higginsport Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/ohio/higginsport-bridge-formerly-us-52) is located on the former A&P Highway, or US 52, in Higginsport and crosses White Oak Creek. The one-lane Whipple through truss was bypassed in 1943. Due to a flooding Ohio River, the western approach was submerged.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fhigginsport-bridge-old-us-52%2F20130202-_dsc9645.jpg&hash=cf7947f44b6e934f27b6502f4203086e74eebf33) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/higginsport-bridge-old-us-52/20130202-_dsc9645.jpg%5B/url)
I crossed into Kentucky to cover the minute Valley Pike Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/valley-pike-covered-bridge) along Valley Pike Road north of Fernleaf. Constructed in 1864, this span features a 23-foot kingpost truss design and is the state's shortest covered bridge.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fvalley-pike-covered-bridge%2F20130202-_dsc9681.jpg&hash=67c550b84121eacbee98648ae0b3b17d0bf1cd5a) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/valley-pike-covered-bridge/20130202-_dsc9681.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fvalley-pike-covered-bridge%2F20130202-_dsc9678.jpg&hash=767bb474d4572066b25dc04a9edf33fb057879a5) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/valley-pike-covered-bridge/20130202-_dsc9678.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fvalley-pike-covered-bridge%2F20130202-_dsc9669.jpg&hash=6e2d1004a93685208789812545e2e6f11131d4a2) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/valley-pike-covered-bridge/20130202-_dsc9669.jpg%5B/url)
I ended my Saturday jaunt with the Dover Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/dover-covered-bridge) in Dover, west of Maysville. Once carrying KY 3113 across Lees Creek, this span was constructed in 1835 and is one of the oldest remaining covered bridges in the state. It is 61-feet-long and features a double set of queenpost trusses on both sides.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fdover-covered-bridge%2F20130202-_dsc9693.jpg&hash=1afdf6a8bb776f70d32f4686df62fda6a00f5de0) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/dover-covered-bridge/20130202-_dsc9693.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fdover-covered-bridge%2F20130202-_dsc9691.jpg&hash=bd2d2ca10ceda3906afbbda73c7a173ab9c5ad22) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/dover-covered-bridge/20130202-_dsc9691.jpg%5B/url)
Sunday was a bit colder but equally as beautiful. The further south I traveled, the more snow there was to play with. But due to a late start, I was not able to cover as many covered bridges as I had wanted, and so I began with the Walcott Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/walcott-bridge-formerly-ky-1159) in Walcott, Kentucky. Constructed in 1824, the covered span was rebuilt in 1881 as a 74-foot king and queenpost truss and remained privately owned until 1953 when it was bypassed. In 1997 and 1998, the bridge was damaged in floods, and was relocated 400 feet east to a new site and reconstructed in 2002.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwalcott-bridge-formerly-ky-1159%2F20130203-_dsc9703.jpg&hash=c213492a303dd60fc26eaadd2599007696798fd8) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/walcott-bridge-formerly-ky-1159/20130203-_dsc9703.jpg%5B/url)
To the south, in Robertson County, is the Johnson Creek Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/johnson-creek-covered-bridge-formerly-ky-1029). Constructed in 1874 with a 131-foot Smith truss, this historic span was in a state of disrepair for several years after flooding caused several support piers to separate from the bridge's foundation. The span began to lean and was closed to all traffic. Work to rehabilitate the bridge began in the summer of 2007 when a "horizontal tower of steel" was guided through the bridge for stabilization, but construction did not begin until after 2008.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjohnson-creek-covered-bridge%2F20130203-_dsc9744.jpg&hash=b93bdd7d1a0abdfd62bc28df62ef3e72ef3d6f08) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/johnson-creek-covered-bridge/20130203-_dsc9744.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjohnson-creek-covered-bridge%2F20130203-_dsc9739.jpg&hash=ad2a5fde04e7664f1b1eb6f00dc3ec78d718faf2) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/johnson-creek-covered-bridge/20130203-_dsc9739.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjohnson-creek-covered-bridge%2F20130203-_dsc9732.jpg&hash=4004e21181c7852ecdbcf4710a47d21f18449c15) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/johnson-creek-covered-bridge/20130203-_dsc9732.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjohnson-creek-covered-bridge%2F20130203-_dsc9728.jpg&hash=7d59b7e511429c5d92f39db0fb0cc3293fc2c9f9) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/johnson-creek-covered-bridge/20130203-_dsc9728.jpg%5B/url)
The Goddard Covered Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/goddard-covered-bridge) is located across Sand Lick Creek and the lattice truss is 90 feet long. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and restored in 2006.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fgoddard-covered-bridge%2F20130203-_dsc9939.jpg&hash=f3a52ccbd4dd693b5b8dc0971db6c0632279c8d1) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/goddard-covered-bridge/20130203-_dsc9939.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fgoddard-covered-bridge%2F20130203-_dsc9945.jpg&hash=e841ff3ad013913ea2af8df6edc92ba7b10ab21a) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/goddard-covered-bridge/20130203-_dsc9945.jpg%5B/url)
To the south is the Ringos Mill Covered Bridge, an 81-foot multiple King Post truss covered bridge. Funds were appropriated for its construction in 1867, and the span was constructed between 1869 and 1870. It was retired and subsequently bypassed in 1968.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fhillsboro-grange-city-covered-bridge-formerly-ky-111%2Fcopy_0_20130203-_dsc9971.jpg&hash=4a610464f4fadc117b26532e5fc465492fb8c1e8) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/hillsboro-grange-city-covered-bridge-formerly-ky-111/copy_0_20130203-_dsc9971.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fhillsboro-grange-city-covered-bridge-formerly-ky-111%2Fcopy_0_20130203-_dsc9970.jpg&hash=bd646f2277bc7a74c0501c2d8b252953519be4cb) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/hillsboro-grange-city-covered-bridge-formerly-ky-111/copy_0_20130203-_dsc9970.jpg%5B/url)
I ended the trip with a drive down to Rowan County to visit a long closed truss (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/freestone-road-bridge-old-us-60) that I came upon several years ago while on a routine drive near Morehead. Constructed in 1921 by HIPCO of Ligonier, Indiana, the one-lane bridge carried US 60 and was bypassed in 1948 with a new alignment.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ffreestone-road-bridge-old-us-60%2F20130203-_dsc9975.jpg&hash=6ea34f47f02b3a3c71f77bb1b286a9bf311c981c) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/freestone-road-bridge-old-us-60/20130203-_dsc9975.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ffreestone-road-bridge-old-us-60%2F20130203-_dsc9980.jpg&hash=4458ed2687812474cb8da1aecfbd7814b5255e6b) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/freestone-road-bridge-old-us-60/20130203-_dsc9980.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ffreestone-road-bridge-old-us-60%2F20130203-_dsc9983.jpg&hash=b73b5e5b71a8b114b89d7abba3f7ab997c4234e2) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/freestone-road-bridge-old-us-60/20130203-_dsc9983.jpg%5B/url)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ffreestone-road-bridge-old-us-60%2F20130203-_dsc9982.jpg&hash=35f8db6abb3163a7c27db7452dbc4343e9068f33) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/freestone-road-bridge-old-us-60/20130203-_dsc9982.jpg%5B/url)
As much as I am thankful for the snowfalls of this winter, the arrival of spring is only 16 days away!
Road Trip to Southern Kentucky (http://bridgestunnels.com/2013/04/09/road-trip-to-southern-kentucky/)
Planning for a trip to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky always involves careful routing to maximize daylight photography opportunities and to maximize the number of bridges and tunnels seen. Deep valleys, winding one-lane roads and detours are almost always a certainty, and traveling from one point to another is never a straight line. My goal for this journey was to photograph four bridges that will be replaced in the near future with new spans, and to explore more of my home state.
My first visit along my 600 mile travel was the Heidelberg Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/heidelberg-bridge-ky-399/) in Heidelberg, which carries Kentucky Route 399 over the Kentucky River. The polygonal Warren through truss was constructed in 1968 and replaced an earlier span at that location.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fheidelberg-bridge-ky-399%2F20130223-_dsc0471.jpg&hash=dfea20ddae24087dc48c9c06bce18940394f884d) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/heidelberg-bridge-ky-399/20130223-_dsc0471.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fheidelberg-bridge-ky-399%2F20130223-_dsc0465.jpg&hash=4df28bfb6ceee1583c68188ac60f7cff43f79b60) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/heidelberg-bridge-ky-399/20130223-_dsc0465.jpg)
The Heidelberg Bridge (Riney-B) (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/heidelberg-bridge-richmond-nicholasville-irvine-and-beattyville-railroad/) was located adjacent to the Heidelberg highway span and carried the Richmond, Nicholasville, Irvine & Beattyville Railroad (Riney-B) Sturgeon Creek branch.
The 2.98-mile line was constructed by the Kentucky Coal Development Company from Heidelberg to Ida May via Sturgeon Creek from March 1907 to January 1908. The Riney-B was acquired by the Louisville & Atlantic Railroad on November 1, 1909, only to fall into the hands of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad a year later. The Sturgeon Creek branch provided a connection to the Kentucky, Rockcastle & Cumberland Railroad, but a lack of traffic on the branch caused it to be discontinued on April 13, 1935.
Only the piers remain today.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fkentucky-river-bridge-richmond-nicholasville-irvine-and-beattyville-railroad%2F20130223-_dsc0472.jpg&hash=4f00fe39c53dd47f7e7c3c4832aea1994350e7a4) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/kentucky-river-bridge-richmond-nicholasville-irvine-and-beattyville-railroad/20130223-_dsc0472.jpg)
I had to pass eastward towards Jackson, and Kentucky Route 30 was the most logical route. It was a slow and tortious two-lane road, but it offered some great photographic opportunities of classic Appalachia. The Kentucky Route 30 through truss bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/middle-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-ky-30/) over the Middle Fork Kentucky River in Breathitt County was constructed in 1935 and is one of the more generic highway spans in the state with little ornamentation. It's still better than an even more generic reinforced concrete span.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fmiddle-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-ky-30%2F20130223-_dsc0609.jpg&hash=3673b952223173b0091417155d48712193209611) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/middle-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-ky-30/20130223-_dsc0609.jpg)
After visiting a closed school and photographing the county seats of Booneville and Jackson, I waited for the sun to fall. I came across the Kentucky Route 1812 pony truss bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/quicksand-creek-bridge-ky-1812/) over Quicksand Creek near Jackson that was constructed in 1929 and snapped away, hoping for car trails on this full-moon night.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fquicksand-creek-bridge-ky-1812%2F20130223-_dsc0647.jpg&hash=63b3ae13e3f91500b4b65720156ee1123da1ba61) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/quicksand-creek-bridge-ky-1812/20130223-_dsc0647.jpg)
Below: I revisited it the next day for an additional photograph.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fquicksand-creek-bridge-ky-1812%2F20130224-_dsc0987.jpg&hash=7d6a5812b833fb3d8596ed2d7944c9df226eaaa1) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/quicksand-creek-bridge-ky-1812/20130224-_dsc0987.jpg)
Located adjacent to the Quicksand Creek Bridge is the Robinson Road/County Route 1387 through truss (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/north-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-robinson-road/) over the North Fork Kentucky River. Constructed in the early 1900s, the bridge is scheduled to be replaced with a new 350-foot, two-lane span. Even fewer vehicles used Robinson Road than Kentucky Route 1812, and I waited for over one hour for the perfect shot: car trails that exhibited a car traversing a pothole ridden driving surface.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorth-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-robinson-road%2F20130223-_dsc0659.jpg&hash=bc116897f18b3dc1e35ed924e04711718a4ed14b) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/north-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-robinson-road/20130223-_dsc0659.jpg)
Below: And in daylight.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorth-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-robinson-road%2F20130224-_dsc0981.jpg&hash=0c5e3535164b5c9660c0fa703f960f5280178e20) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/north-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-robinson-road/20130224-_dsc0981.jpg)
I drove further south towards Hazard to complete some additional night photography before finding a hotel. The Combs Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/combr-bridge-ky-80/) carries Kentucky Route 80 over the Kentucky River in Combs and the three-span Parker truss was constructed in 1929. It is slated for replacement.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcombs-bridge-ky-80%2F20130223-_dsc0666.jpg&hash=d82d451d09394c2781a5cc761bdc3ab4fdb5c70e) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/combs-bridge-ky-80/20130223-_dsc0666.jpg)
Below: I revisited it the next day for an additional photograph.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcombs-bridge-ky-80%2F20130224-_dsc0735.jpg&hash=5f9da93e9972c680ea222e7fe4b72d0b3cf18440) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/combs-bridge-ky-80/20130224-_dsc0735.jpg)
South of Hazard is the Glomawr Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/glomawr-bridge-ky-451/) carries Kentucky Route 451 over the North Fork Kentucky River in Glomawr. The Parker through truss was constructed in 1927 and is slated for replacement in 2013.
The Transportation Cabinet and Federal Highway Administration is currently soliciting a new owner for the bridge. The program allows government agencies, historic preservation organizations or individuals to reconstruct the bridge if its original characteristics are retained at the new site. Historic organizations and individuals must be approved by the state historic preservation officer to be eligible. The Transportation Cabinet and the Federal Highway Administration will pay the costs of marking parts of the bridge, disassembling it, transporting it to the new site and off-loading it. The recipient is responsible for all other costs, including site preparation, reassembly, replacement of parts suitable for the proposed use, and approaches.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fglomawr-bridge-ky-451%2F20130223-_dsc0675.jpg&hash=06e4c3d87e552fd3f04d554e19aaa26ed8a512f3) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/glomawr-bridge-ky-451/20130223-_dsc0675.jpg)
Below: The span looks much better in daylight.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fglomawr-bridge-ky-451%2F20130224-_dsc0906.jpg&hash=b7d815c89e21b1d73aacb40a79d3ee43e45fb9eb) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/glomawr-bridge-ky-451/20130224-_dsc0906.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fglomawr-bridge-ky-451%2F20130224-_dsc0910.jpg&hash=e068593c303896587c81086efb450965ebfb1fc7) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/glomawr-bridge-ky-451/20130224-_dsc0910.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fglomawr-bridge-ky-451%2F20130224-_dsc0912.jpg&hash=a520587544a10d6b933a63ce43ba2a99efc0230e) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/glomawr-bridge-ky-451/20130224-_dsc0912.jpg)
I spent much of the next day traversing the ridges and valleys of Perry and Breathitt counties. I began my morning in Hazard and came across Town Mountain Road Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/town-mountain-road-bridge-ky-451/) that carries Kentucky Route 451 over the North Fork Kentucky River. The span was completed in 2009 and is named after Mayor William D. Gorman, who led the city from 1978 until his death on October 9, 2010. The structurally massive bridge is aesthetically pleasing, although it has little to no vegetation worth noting around it. A little landscaping would go a long way.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ftown-mountain-road-bridge-ky-451%2F20130224-_dsc0778.jpg&hash=f5d0b2da9a94db153cb017944ab6fcbc019de32a) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/town-mountain-road-bridge-ky-451/20130224-_dsc0778.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ftown-mountain-road-bridge-ky-451%2F20130224-_dsc0810.jpg&hash=ab942c02b4823ce1d9ef4a505289bc0561663cd9) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/town-mountain-road-bridge-ky-451/20130224-_dsc0810.jpg)
Further south is the North Fork Kentucky River Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/north-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-old-ky-15/) for old Kentucky Route 15 in Jeff that was constructed in 1926 by the Atlantic Bridge Company of Greensboro, North Carolina. It was bypassed in 1969 with a new alignment.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorth-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-old-ky-15%2F20130224-_dsc0939.jpg&hash=9ae86fd68bb7124eba8c9d071a22f66c62cd0d30) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/north-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-old-ky-15/20130224-_dsc0939.jpg)
The Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N) surveyed a route from Jackson south to the headwaters of the Kentucky River's North Fork to access rich coal veins of the eastern part of the state. A report on the survey was submitted on May 19, 1903 by Major R.H. Elliott of Birmingham, Alabama. No action was taken on the report until 1909 when the L&N acquired the Lexington & Eastern Railroad, which extended from Lexington to Jackson. An engineer, J.E. Willoughby, was sent out to locate a line from Jackson south into the coal fields, an attorney followed soon after acquiring right-of-way.
By October 1910, 80% of the right-of-way was secure and by January 1, 1911, construction had commenced on much of the alignment. The L&N spent $5.7 million to construct 101 miles of track from Dumont near Jackson to McRoberts along the North Fork Kentucky River, requiring 16 bridges.
The Jeff Railroad Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/jeff-railroad-bridge-ln/) was constructed in Jeff by the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company in c. 1910 - c. 1911.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjeff-railroad-bridge-ln%2F20130224-_dsc0925.jpg&hash=ac858a1b3f5b12996e667ec4679ccecf95f93082) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/jeff-railroad-bridge-ln/20130224-_dsc0925.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjeff-railroad-bridge-ln%2F20130224-_dsc0926.jpg&hash=54dc2ae4fca862b94d37b9fa199a530c6938d5e8) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/jeff-railroad-bridge-ln/20130224-_dsc0926.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjeff-railroad-bridge-ln%2F20130224-_dsc0930.jpg&hash=c468c6db4688acf0350d8d3e70fc5f9690c38403) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/jeff-railroad-bridge-ln/20130224-_dsc0930.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjeff-railroad-bridge-ln%2F20130224-_dsc0931.jpg&hash=211b9391c9a232bab2613e152d0e93d1679e9325) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/jeff-railroad-bridge-ln/20130224-_dsc0931.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fjeff-railroad-bridge-ln%2F20130224-_dsc0942.jpg&hash=ccfecf85269b01dcb44fdb7241426adcde6c23f7) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/jeff-railroad-bridge-ln/20130224-_dsc0942.jpg)
Further north along the same railroad is the Lothair Railroad Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/lothair-railroad-bridge-ln/) that was constructed by the same company in the same timeframe just south of Hazard. A pedestrian suspension bridge paralleled the railroad but it has long since collapsed.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flothair-railroad-bridge-ln%2F20130224-_dsc0952.jpg&hash=e972843e6cd512fc7f171050c139c584eda7e7bc) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/lothair-railroad-bridge-ln/20130224-_dsc0952.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flothair-railroad-bridge-ln%2F20130224-_dsc0954.jpg&hash=ce105c652c7a54aa0b71b2e90f90e68cc66ae79f) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/lothair-railroad-bridge-ln/20130224-_dsc0954.jpg)
Immediately north of the bridge is the Lothair Tunnel (http://bridgestunnels.com/tunnels/lothair-tunnel/).
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Flothair-tunnel-louisville-and-nashville-railroad%2F20130224-_dsc0947.jpg&hash=8d221bce7ff9b43037bfadee53e01f539117a825) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/lothair-tunnel-louisville-and-nashville-railroad/20130224-_dsc0947.jpg)
The Campbell Tunnels (http://bridgestunnels.com/tunnels/campbell-tunnels/) are located near near Napfor north of Hazard, and were constructed circa 1911.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fcampbell-tunnel-louisville-and-nashville-railroad%2F20130224-_dsc1139.jpg&hash=6d0dcc4c7173c2b671049a4be30fee5bd091bd07) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/campbell-tunnel-louisville-and-nashville-railroad/20130224-_dsc1139.jpg)
Even more remote is the Line Tunnel (http://bridgestunnels.com/tunnels/line-tunnel-louisville-and-nashville-railroad/) located near Barwick between Breathitt and Perry counties, and was constructed circa 1911.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fline-tunnel-louisville-and-nashville-railroad%2F20130224-_dsc1103.jpg&hash=f802840be2924a639ecb12c9eb3520436ca798b1) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/line-tunnel-louisville-and-nashville-railroad/20130224-_dsc1103.jpg)
The Kentucky Union Railway (http://www.abandonedonline.net/railroads/kentucky-union-railway/) (KU) was a railroad that extended for 95 miles from Lexington to Jackson. The company was incorporated in 1872 to reach coal and timber resources in the southeastern reaches of the state. Construction did not begin on a rail line until 1886 when 14.7 miles of railroad was completed from Kentucky Union (later the L&N) Junction east of Winchester and Clay City. The line was extended west to Lexington in 1890 and southeast to Jackson in 1891 for a total of 92 miles. The route included six tunnels and 20 bridges.
The O&K Tunnel is located 1.37 miles north of Jackson at O&K Junction and was constructed in 1891. The Ohio & Kentucky Railway (http://www.abandonedonline.net/railroads/ohio-and-kentucky-railway/) (O&K) diverged from the tunnel and traveled northward.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fok-tunnel-ln%2F20130224-_dsc1079.jpg&hash=b5fc4ea1fb88f8d6fc337fb9f534b5ba60ac5dc3) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/ok-tunnel-ln/20130224-_dsc1079.jpg)
The North Fork Kentucky River Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/kentucky/north-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-ky-3193/) is located north of Jackson, and carries Kentucky Route 3193 over the North Fork Kentucky River. The bridge was constructed in 1910 as part of the O&K, which once extended from O&K Junction 1.37 miles northwest of Jackson to the Licking River in Morgan County. The railroad was abandoned in 1933 and parts of the rail bed were converted into a roadway.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorth-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-ky-3193%2F20130223-_dsc0629-merge.jpg&hash=c475e76b098bfa18fc79d8379c8b1c961e75d00f) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/north-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-ky-3193/20130223-_dsc0629-merge.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorth-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-ky-3193%2F20130223-_dsc0636.jpg&hash=db9a6d365371946ae6b246bafda98ac0edd0d77b) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/north-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-ky-3193/20130223-_dsc0636.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorth-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-ky-3193%2F20130223-_dsc0637.jpg&hash=87168cfd030b98e238968a37a946d10b6f6768b7) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/north-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-ky-3193/20130223-_dsc0637.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnorth-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-ky-3193%2F20130223-_dsc0638.jpg&hash=2f7975af2de0cdfd40c56eebe5f4aed94a9cf809) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/north-fork-kentucky-river-bridge-ky-3193/20130223-_dsc0638.jpg)
I hope you enjoyed this trip down into the hills of southeast Kentucky!
Bridges of the Kanawha and New River Valleys (http://bridgestunnels.com/2013/06/07/bridges-of-the-kanawha-and-new-river-valleys/)Over the past several months, I have spent a considerable amount of time criss-crossing West Virginia, primarily focusing in the Kanawha and New River valleys, to photograph waterfalls, early spring foliage and coal camps. But along the way, I revisited some of my favorite bridges and captured some new ones.
One of my favorite is the New River Gorge Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/new-river-gorge-bridge-us-19/) that carries US 19 over the New River. It is the largest arch bridge in the Western Hamisphere and the second highest crossing in the United States. The now-iconic bridge was immortalized when it was depicted on the West Virginia state quarter and on the state's welcome signage.
Below: The New River Gorge Bridge bathed in early morning sunlight.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnew-river-gorge-bridge-us-19%2F20130514-_dsc7587.jpg&hash=5b7efeaf1f55c73f4f6493e7fa28507c3264e3d7) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/new-river-gorge-bridge-us-19/20130514-_dsc7587.jpg)
In the shadows of the New River Gorge Bridge is the Fayette Station Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/fayette-station-bridge-cr-89/). The Fayette Station Bridge crosses New River, connecting the now non-existant communities of Fayette and South Fayette. The truss span was contracted out to the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company of Roanoke, Virginia 1in 1889, but the actual builder may have been the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio. It was the first vehicular bridge over the New in the county.
In March 1978, less than one year after the New River Gorge Bridge was completed, the Fayette Station Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic due to deteriorating conditions. Reconstruction of the bridge occurred between 1997 and 1998, and during its refurbishment, the piers were rebuilt and a new bridge deck was installed. Two exterior pedestrian walkways were also constructed. The Fayette Station Bridge was rededicated on November 8, 1998 as the Tunney Hansaker Bridge and today carries southbound West Virginia Secondary Route 82.
Below: I have previously covered the span, but opted to drive down around midnight for this eerie photograph.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Ffayette-station-bridge-cr-89%2F20130512-_dsc7317.jpg&hash=a458a26bdf9c88850c85d0f22754bde4bf90faa4) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/fayette-station-bridge-cr-89/20130512-_dsc7317.jpg)
Much further downstream is the Kanawha Falls Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/kanawha-falls-bridge-fayette-county-route-13/), a long, narrow and old, my favorite characteristics of any bridge. Crossing the Kanawha River downstream of Kanawha Falls, the green hued bridge was constructed in 1929 for the Kanawha Falls Bridge Company, and connects US 60 to Boonesborough. The tolled facility resulted in the termination of the Kanawha Falls ferry that had been in operation for 125 years.
The bridge was purchased by the West Virginia Department of Highways in 1977, renovated in 1979 and partially renovated in 1999. The Kanawha Falls Bridge consists of three Pennsylvania through trusses, 265-feet, 400-feet and 265-feet in length, and a riveted deck girder span at 55 feet in length.
Studies began in the 2000s on either replacement or rehabilitation of the Kanawha Falls Bridge due to structural deterioration. In 2012, a decision was made to rehabilitate the existing bridge in the current location at a cost of around $15 million.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fkanawha-falls-bridge-fayette-county-route-13%2F20130512-_dsc7126.jpg&hash=8ae8855e470883358b35a841511b6b7a639fb3db) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/kanawha-falls-bridge-fayette-county-route-13/20130512-_dsc7126.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fkanawha-falls-bridge-fayette-county-route-13%2F20130512-_dsc7129.jpg&hash=214a5056fd50d68887f334fbfcbbc517673f8747) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/kanawha-falls-bridge-fayette-county-route-13/20130512-_dsc7129.jpg)
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(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fkanawha-falls-bridge-fayette-county-route-13%2F20130512-_dsc7136.jpg&hash=3de7f5a8f8fb5433c62b5489742310bc1020bc74) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/kanawha-falls-bridge-fayette-county-route-13/20130512-_dsc7136.jpg)
Nearby is a Virginian Railroad (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/wv-61-overpass-virginian-railroad/) overpass is located on West Virginia Route 61, and was constructed originally for the Virginian Railroad in 1930. The steel stringer overpass is now used by Norfolk Southern.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fwv-61-overpass-virginian-railroad%2F20130512-_dsc7118.jpg&hash=4cb221b375a78b5843f5f4a78be69a705cea900e) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/wv-61-overpass-virginian-railroad/20130512-_dsc7118.jpg)
The RJ Corman Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/new-river-bridge-rj-corman/) spans the New River at Thurmond. The New River Bridge Company, owned by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad (C&O) director A.A. Low, began construction of a triple-span iron truss upon stone piers in 1888. The crossing was finished two years later and deeded to the C&O for one dollar. By late 1893, what became the Loup Creek branch was completed to Glen Jean, and to Macdonald by January 1894.
In 1915, a new polygonal Warren through truss was constructed on the north end of the span, where new concrete piers replaced the stone piers. A new automobile lane was attached. Additional improvements to the automobile lane was completed in 1951. After a mine closed at Siltex in the 1980s, the Loup Creek branch was closed to traffic until the line was rehabilitated in 1994 to serve a Georgia Pacific facility and Austin Powder at Packs Branch. In 2006, further work was completed for a new coal run originating from Pax. The branch is now operated by R.J. Corman.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnew-river-bridge-at-thurmond-rj-corman%2F20130514-_dsc7634.jpg&hash=98e9fc358c5518bc4e6ed915faae4bc75f41c9d9) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/new-river-bridge-at-thurmond-rj-corman/20130514-_dsc7634.jpg)
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Nearby at Nuttallburg, a former coal mining complex and town, was the Nuttallburg Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/nuttallburg-bridge/) that once spanned the New River. The pedestrian bridge was constructed by the Roebling Bridge Company in 1899 and abandoned by the 1960s.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnuttallburg-bridge%2F20130514-_dsc7764.jpg&hash=fe8d2db08b2dcd5bc7e545ab9750b7281933caa4) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/nuttallburg-bridge/20130514-_dsc7764.jpg)
West Virginia has many miles of fantastic rail-to-trails (http://www.abandonedonline.net/2013/06/07/two-west-virginia-rail-trails/), or railroads that have been abandoned and converted into recreational corridors. Most of the trails are not paved, and many contain impressive bridges and tunnels that make any trip exciting. And quite a few of them have remnants of their coal mining past remaining, whether it is abandoned mine portals or discarded equipment.
One of those is the former Chesapeake & Ohio Hawk's Nest Subdivision (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/chesapeake-ohio-railroad-hawks-nest-subdivision-mill-creek-bridge/), which is now a rail-to-trail. Constructed in 1875 and abandoned in 1972, this branch contains one significant bridge over Mill Creek. The original was a wooden truss, which was replaced in 1891 with a heavier span and later a plate girder.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fchesapeake-ohio-railroad-mill-creek-bridge%2F20130513-_dsc7463.jpg&hash=faefb21283999e27cf036fec60d494c84fb86cba) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/chesapeake-ohio-railroad-mill-creek-bridge/20130513-_dsc7463.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fchesapeake-ohio-railroad-mill-creek-bridge%2F20130513-_dsc7459.jpg&hash=e9435bfb72dcaa56571006c1f7599d54561e3df0) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/chesapeake-ohio-railroad-mill-creek-bridge/20130513-_dsc7459.jpg)
Another is the Nicholas, Fayette & Greenbrier Railway (http://www.abandonedonline.net/railroads/nicholas-fayette-and-greenbrier-railway/) (NF&G), a paper railroad that was named after the three counties it served. The ICC created the NF&G in 1929 to resolve claims by the C&O and the New York Central (NYC) to serve newly developing mines in the Sewall seam in the remote areas north of the New River and along the Meadow River. Between Swiss and Nallen was 28 miles of virgin timber and mining opportunities. The newly formed railroad constructed a single track line between the two towns, which included two tunnels and two trestles, between 1929 and 1931. Profiled is the Koontz Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/west-virginia/koontz-bridge-nicholas-fayette-and-greenbrier-railway/) and 3,164-foot Koontz Tunnel (http://bridgestunnels.com/tunnels/koontz-tunnel-nicholas-fayette-and-greenbrier-railway/).
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-koontz-tunnel%2F20130513-_dsc7350.jpg&hash=25657fbb5fc4afae4668a1906c6f83c15d2ec6c0) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/nicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-koontz-tunnel/20130513-_dsc7350.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-koontz-tunnel%2F20130513-_dsc7342.jpg&hash=ac1dabd51cdeadb8d22d4f73f2068f7da8525323) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/nicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-koontz-tunnel/20130513-_dsc7342.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-koontz-tunnel%2F20130513-_dsc7371.jpg&hash=89cf237647aff1edb9e0c9c4fae57c8f1ecaf3ff) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/nicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-koontz-tunnel/20130513-_dsc7371.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-koontz-tunnel%2F20130513-_dsc7369.jpg&hash=ce14facac70e51b0111b1714a5419e3391eab5de) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/nicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-koontz-tunnel/20130513-_dsc7369.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-gauley-river-bridge%2F20130513-_dsc7353.jpg&hash=f6f61b12ea895c8a4918d00c662045f15edfaa17) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/nicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-gauley-river-bridge/20130513-_dsc7353.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-gauley-river-bridge%2F20130513-_dsc7357.jpg&hash=99044d5663c2de584d7205e8bb997801a9e21474) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/nicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-gauley-river-bridge/20130513-_dsc7357.jpg)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbridgestunnels.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2Fnicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-gauley-river-bridge%2F20130513-_dsc7361.jpg&hash=961e09d915273f581fcc3d8b521b2eb72101feda) (http://bridgestunnels.com/wp-content/gallery/nicholas-fayette-greenbrier-railway-gauley-river-bridge/20130513-_dsc7361.jpg)
The facilities were last used in 1996 and are part of a rail-to-trail in the Gauley River National Recreation Area.
Enjoy these long-needed updates to the Mountain State!
I just want to say, sir, that a great many of your photos (all of them?) easily qualify for the "Best of..." thread.
Incredible photography. Museum quality. :clap:
About a month ago, I passed through Toledo, Ohio and spent some quality time along the banks of the Maumee River and around downtown. The first span I came across was the Washington Street Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/maumee-river/washington-street-bridge/) that crosses Swan Creek, formerly the Miami and Erie Canal. It was designed in August 1919 and constructed in 1920 by the Toledo Bridge and Crane Company as a Scherzer Rolling Lift bridge sourced from the Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company of Chicago Illinois. It connected downtown to the railroad dock yards on the Middlegrounds, which also included train stations, warehouses and hotels.
The canal had peak traffic in the 1850s and was closed to through traffic in 1921. A portion of the canal, from the Maumee River headwaters, was used for local shipping and small boat traffic until 1947 and the Washington Street lift was taken out of service.
Below: The following are photographed by Robert Benton for the Historic American Engineering Record.
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In 1995, in order to accommodate Owens-Corning Fiberglass World Headquarters and an increase in traffic, engineers opted to remove the superstructure from the foundation. A new concrete pile foundation and steel girder bridge was installed, and the original superstructure, with a fake counterweight, was fitted on top. Owens Corning's new headquarters on the former Middlegrounds complex in September 1996.
In January 2012, the Deputy Mayor Tom Crothers announced that it was seeking to remove the truss, claiming that it was an eyesore and costly to maintain. Crothers added that it "detracted" from the Owens Corning. Crothers claimed that he was acting on behalf of Owens Corning and that the move was about a downtown corporation wanting to remove the eyesore, but Owens Corning disclaimed that. The company responded stating that the city had neglected maintenance of the bridge, and that Owens Corning had requested the city provided a regularly scheduled maintenance program.
The bridge was similar to one on Monroe Street that was constructed in 1907 and scrapped in 1995.
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The Anthony Wayne Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/maumee-river/anthony-wayne-bridge-oh-2/) carries Ohio State Routes 2, 51 and 65 over the Maumee River. It is the last suspension bridge on the Ohio state highway network after the Fort Steuben Bridge was demolished on February 22, 2012. The span is named after General Anthony Wayne, a United States Army officer and statesman who had mounted an assault on the Indian confederacy at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in modern-day Maumee. It was a decisive victory for United States forces, ending the war and eventually leading to a treaty that gave most of what is now Ohio to the United States.
The firm Waddell & Hardesty, with the aid of Moisseiff and architect Cass Gilbert, designed the 3,215-foot suspension and it was constructed in 1931 for $2.6 million. It was notable for featuring the first notable plate girder spans in the United States at 9.8-feet deep.
The span was last rehabilitated in 1961 and received major repairs in 1997-98 when its concrete deck was resurfaced, some suspender cables were replaced and its main suspension cables were wrapped with a weatherproofing material.
The Ohio Department of Transportation has proposed to rehabilitate the Anthony Wayne Bridge in 2013 as part of a three-year, $50 million overhaul. ODOT has proposed replacing the first approach spans on either side of the suspension bridge with new two-span structures, replacing the deck, corrosion removal on the steel girders, cable repairs and painting. The approach spans are Warren deck trusses and are fracture critical, which ODOT has proposed replacing with girders. A contract was awarded to the E.S. Wagner Company of Oregon for $28.7 million. The bridge will be closed to traffic for 19 months from spring 2014 through 2015.
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The Craig Memorial Bridge (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/maumee-river/craig-memorial-bridge-oh-65/) carries Ohio State Route 65 over the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio.
After the Cherry Street Bridge was destroyed in the flood of 1883, the city towed remnants of the bridge downstream, constructed two new spans and created the Ash-Consaul Bridge. It was demolished in 1957 for the Craig Memorial Bridge, part of Ohio State Route 120. The first section of a relocated Ohio State Route 120 was opened between U.S. Route 20 and Ohio State Route 51 in 1955 and extended north to Summit Street in Toledo two years later, which required the completion of a Maumee River crossing. By 1959, the highway was completed to Michigan as the Toledo-Detroit Expressway and signed as Ohio State Route 120 south of and US 24A north of Summit Street.
In 1958, Ohio requested that Interstate 77 be designated for the Toledo-Detroit Expressway. Interstate 77 would have veered westward from Cleveland and overlapped with Interstate 90 to Toledo, using the Toledo-Detroit Expressway to Detroit. It would have then veered westward to Port Huron, Michigan. By August, Ohio requested that Interstate 77 be truncated to Cleveland and that Interstate 280 be applied to the new expressway, and that Michigan's portion of former Interstate 77 be designated Interstate 75E. It was approved in November by AASHO.
Interstate 280 was not brought up to freeway standards south of East Toledo until 1990 and contained seven at-grade intersections. But the drawbridge and its network of ramps on both ends was an obstacle. By 1996, the drawbridge opened on average 900 times a year for ship traffic, with an average delay of seven minutes but had decreased to 266 openings by 2007. It's ramp configurations were treacherous; it featured a three-leg northbound exit to Summit and Huron streets, but the Huron ramp was closed shortly after due to a rash of accidents. During the mid-1990s, the northbound Summit to southbound Craig ramp was closed after a safety wall built during bridge renovations caused such poor sight distances that motorists using the ramp could not see traffic that they had to merge into. In addition, all of the ramps were too short for traffic to merge onto the interstate.
In 2007. the Craig Memorial Bridge closed to all traffic for reconstruction into a local roadway as part of the Glass City Skyway project. The project involved the creation of a bike path separate from automobile traffic, the installation of fiberglass decking instead of a steel grid for the bike path, the removal of the Interstate 280 ramps and the filling in of the Interstate 280 trench through North Toledo with 815,000 cubic yards of earth 20-feet deep. It was reopened to traffic on December 15, 2009, although work remained to convert the remainder of what used to be Interstate 280 and its network of ramps into public parks. Several projects wrapped up in the fall of 2010, including additional landscaping and the construction of connecting bike paths.
The total project cost was $21.3 million.
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The Glass City Skyway (http://bridgestunnels.com/bridges/maumee-river/glass-city-skyway-interstate-280/) carries Interstate 280 over the Maumee River and was the Ohio Department of Transportation's (ODOT) biggest single construction project in history and replaced the Craig Memorial Bridge.
Planning for a new Maumee River crossing to replace the drawbridge began in 1988, when a Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments report noted that the Craig Memorial Bridge needed to be replaced or bypassed. Federal funds for preliminary planning came through in 1991, but it was not until 1998 that ODOT's Transportation Review Advisory Council allocated $200 million in state and federal funds towards the project.
ODOT recommended that a bridge be built alongside existing Interstate 280 for cost. During a series of public meetings, ODOT project planners and HNTB/Parsons Brinckerhoff showcased potential designs for the new bridge, including a box-girder, truss, suspension and cable-stayed designs. A tunnel option had been eliminated due to its cost. The box-girder and truss alternatives were dismissed and public opinion favored the cable-stayed for being the most distinctive. Later meetings revealed that most attendees preferred a single, center pylon with stays radiating down to the deck, glass panels inlaid in the center tower with internal lighting and stainless steel sheathing on the cables. The public also voiced support for the planting of native shrubs and grasses onto the new Interstate 280 right-of-way, bike paths and new park space.
Naming the bridge was fairly easy, as most opted for either Veterans' Memorial Bridge and Glass City Skyway during a survey in 2001.(3)(4) The decision, which rested with the state, involved a merger of the two into Veterans Glass City Skyway.
Groundbreaking ceremonies for the Skyway was held on May 11, 2001 and bids were opened for the project on January 15, 2002. The $220 million contract with Fru-Con Construction of Ballwin, Miccouri was awarded in March.
Within three months of the construction letting, Fru-Con began drilling foundation shafts for the new bridge piers and started work on a cofferdam in the Maumee River for the main pylon. The company also ordered two gantry-truss cranes from an Italian manufacturer. By July 2003, the Skyway was 45% complete and assembly of the East Toledo approach viaduct had begun. The project was 405 days ahead of schedule and was so far ahead that Fru-Con and ODOT announced an agreement to complete work by Labor Day, 2005.
The bridge was fabricated at a yard on Front Street over a two year timeframe. Reinforced concrete was used throughout the Skyway, and all materials, 3,008 deck segments and 42, 85-ton delta frames, were pre-built at the yard. The first delta frame, cast on August 29, 2002, comprised of a epoxy-covered steel reinforcing frame. The frame took 90 minutes to fill and a month to cure. The main pylon was poured in stages from 32-feet below the riverbed to 403.25-feet above the river.
On February 16, 2004, one of two yellow gantry truss cranes that were used to assemble the spans peeled away from its moorings and crashed 60 feet to the ground that killed four ironworkers and injured four others. It was found that shortcuts were undertaken in anchoring the crane's rear legs during the procedure of extending it for repositioning. A concrete quality problem was discovered shortly after that required Fru-Con to remove and replace 184 cubic yards of the pylon that had no effect on the project's schedule. ODOT also discovered that the plastic coating on many stay-cable strands were cracked, which comprised their longevity but not their strength, leading to most coatings being replaced.
To resume construction, Fru-Con modified the lone intact truss without the self-contained repositioning system. The company then sourced two other trusses; one was similar to that which had collapsed while the other was an underslung truss that supported spans from below during assembly.
On October 23, a positioning leg fell from the other truss as it was being moved into place. The incident, which injured no one, was blamed on a mis-wired control switch. Work on the main span was stopped for eight months while the contractor revised its construction plan and to procure new equipment.
The last of the 3,045 concrete segments for the new bridge was poured on April 1, 2005 shortly after 9:15 AM. On October 17, the main tower was "topped off" that included a small ceremony. The topping off included the lifting of a 13.5-foot-tall inverted concrete "V" that was hoisted 400 feet by crane to the top of the pylon. Another milestone was achieved on July 13, 2006 when the first sheathing for the stay cables was erected. The stainless steel sheathing, which took 15 minutes to install, was the first step in constructing 20 sets of stable cables. The threading of 119 strands of cables for the sheathing were completed the following day.
Interstate 280 was closed between the Greenbelt Parkway and Summit Street from October 18, 2005 until November 2006 while the North Toledo approach viaduct was constructed over the existing highway. The interstate was not scheduled to be closed but incidents with the cranes led the plan to be scuttled. But the delays were so great that ODOT agreed to waive a $20,000-per-day late-completion penalty until March 2, 2007. The state had been docking Fru-Con $10,000 per day since May 28, 2006 for the continued closing of Interstate 280, a penalty that exceeded $1.7 million by the time the freeway reopened.
The final two precast bridge segments were installed on December 20, 2006 and the closure pour was conducted on February 16, 2007. The pour, which joined the main span over the Maumee with the North Toledo viaduct approach, was conducted on the crane collapse's third anniversary.
Another construction incident occurred on April 19 when a work platform attached to the bridge's side detached and fell 82 feet to the ground, killing a carpenter who was working on the platform. Fru-Con was fined $405,000 by OSHA for violations associated with the collapses, and the contractor paid out $11.25 million in settlements with the affected families.
A dedication ceremony was held on June 23, 2007 at 10:30 AM, which was followed by a four-mile road race and walk at noon and a motorized parade led by veterans' groups that crossed the northbound lanes at 12:30 PM. Most of bridge was opened to automobile traffic on Sunday. Initially, two of its three lanes in each direction were opened and the remainder were opened later in the year after the defective stay-cable strands were replaced. Construction of a memorial for the five workers who died during erection of the Skyway began in October 2010 after a design was finalized in early 2006. The centerpiece involved the fabrication of a kinetic sculpture atop four pillars with two 24-foot arms that spin in the wind in a small plaza in Tribue Park.
The Skyway project was completed for $237 million and involved a number of firsts and records. The bridge included the world's thickest stay cables at 70% over what was previously used in the United States, the first use of stainless steel cable sheathing and the first pylon with 176 internally lit, inlaid glass panels that feature 13,824 light-emitting diodes in 384 fixtures. The lights are expected to last 22 years before needing replacement, and the stay cables have a lifespan of 100 years. The cradle system to house the cables, which allowed each strand to be replaced individually and act independently, was honored with the Pankow Award from the Civil Engineering Forum for Innovation and the NOVA Award from the Construction Innovation Forum. Over 2.2 million man-hours was required for the project.
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The Glass City Skyway is this author's most favorite highway bridge in the state of Ohio.