Main Avenue Bridge

Main Avenue Bridge
Main Avenue Bridge, as viewed from the Flats, 1999.
Coordinates41°29′55″N 81°42′18″W / 41.4986620°N 81.7051315°W / 41.4986620; -81.7051315 (Main Avenue Bridge)
CarriesOH 2 OH 2
CrossesCuyahoga River
LocaleCleveland, Ohio
ID number1800035
Characteristics
DesignMetal-Riveted Cantilever Deck Truss, Stationary[1]
Total length6,580 feet (2,010 m)
8,000 feet (2,400 m) including ramps [1]
Width82 feet (25 m)
Longest span120 m
Clearance above100 feet (30 m) (over river)
Clearance below96 feet (29 m)
History
Construction end1939
Opened1939
Location
Map

The Main Avenue (Harold H. Burton Memorial) Bridge (alternately Main Avenue Viaduct[2]) is a cantilever truss bridge in Cleveland, Ohio carrying Ohio State Route 2/Cleveland Memorial Shoreway over the Cuyahoga River.[3] The bridge, completed in 1939, is 8,000 feet (2,400 m) in length, and was the longest elevated structure in Ohio[4] until the 2007 completion of the Veterans' Glass City Skyway in Toledo. It was named for Harold H. Burton, 45th mayor of Cleveland, in late January 1986.[5] The bridge replaced an 1869 bridge at the same site,[4] and was built in conjunction with construction of the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway.[6]

Main Avenue Bridge Looking West, Cleveland, Ohio vintage postcard

The bridge received extensive renovations 1991–1992;[4][7] it subsequently received major structural repairs in 2007[8] and again in 2012–2013, both instances necessitating re-routing of large vehicles.[9][10][11]

The bridge is visible at the end of the "Cleveland Rocks" version of the opening credits of The Drew Carey Show.[12]

In 2013, the Federal Highway Administration listed the Main Avenue Bridge as "structurally deficient" and "fracture critical".[13]

[14]

The bridge has been designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Main Avenue Bridge Cleveland Memorial Shoreway Bridge Historic Ohio Cuyahoga River Bridge". Historicbridges.org. 2007-06-24. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Main Avenue Viaduct
  3. ^ "Main Avenue Bridge". Historic Bridges of Michigan and Elsewhere. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  4. ^ a b c "Main Ave. Bridge". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.
  5. ^ Thoma, Pauline (1986-01-18). "Bridge over River Cuy renamed". The Plain Dealer.
  6. ^ "Memorial Shoreway". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.
  7. ^ Thoma, Pauline (1992-10-17). "Making a Drive to the Finish Line". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  8. ^ Farkas, Karen (2009-06-28). "ODOT withheld fears about danger of Main Avenue Bridge collapsing in 2007". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  9. ^ "ODOT to Begin Repair Project on Main Avenue Bridge (press release)". Ohio Department of Transportation District 12. 2012-07-17. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  10. ^ Dissell, Rachel (2012-07-18). "ODOT Officials Suddenly Close Main Avenue Bridge to Truck and Bus Traffic in Cleveland". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
  11. ^ "ODOT to Reopen Main Avenue Bridge to Heavy Truck Traffic (press release)". Ohio Department of Transportation District 12. 2012-12-11. Retrieved 2012-12-11.
  12. ^ Compare end of clip with Bing Maps Bird's Eye View of approximate location (choose eastward view).
  13. ^ "Cleveland's Main Avenue Bridge draws red flags in National Bridge Inventory". cleveland.com. Associated Press. 2013-09-16. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  14. ^ "National Bridge Inventory - Management and Preservation - Bridges & Structures - Federal Highway Administration".
  15. ^ Hlavaty, Kaylyn (2021-10-06). "Main Avenue Bridge recognized as 'industrial achievement' with historical landmark dedication". News 5 Cleveland. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Main Avenue Bridge.
  • Watson, Sara Ruth; John R. Wolfs (1981). "Chapter 2: The Four Great Viaducts". Bridges of Metropolitan Cleveland. pp. 28–31. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13. Retrieved 2009-06-30. Transcription at The Cleveland Memory Project website.