Main Avenue Bridge
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 | |
|---|---|
 The underside of the bridge, as viewed from the Cuyahoga River, near the Flats | |
| Coordinates | 41°29′55″N 81°42′18″W |
| Carries |  OH 2 |
| Crosses | Cuyahoga River |
| Locale | Cleveland, Ohio |
| ID number | 1800035 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Metal-Riveted Cantilever Deck Truss, Stationary[1] |
| Total length | 6,580 feet (2,010 m) 8,000 feet (2,400 m) including ramps [1] |
| Width | 82 feet (25 m) |
| Longest span | 120 m |
| Clearance above | 100 feet (30 m) (over river) |
| Clearance below | 96 feet (29 m) |
| History | |
| Construction end | 1939 |
| Opened | 1939 |
| Location | |
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]
References
- "Main Avenue Bridge Cleveland Memorial Shoreway Bridge Historic Ohio Cuyahoga River Bridge". Historicbridges.org. 2007-06-24. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Main Avenue Viaduct
- "Main Avenue Bridge". Historic Bridges of Michigan and Elsewhere. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- "Main Ave. Bridge". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.
- Thoma, Pauline (1986-01-18). "Bridge over River Cuy renamed". The Plain Dealer.
- "Memorial Shoreway". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.
- Thoma, Pauline (1992-10-17). "Making a Drive to the Finish Line". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- Farkas, Karen (2009-06-28). "ODOT withheld fears about danger of Main Avenue Bridge collapsing in 2007". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
- "ODOT to Begin Repair Project on Main Avenue Bridge (press release)". Ohio Department of Transportation District 12. 2012-07-17. Retrieved 2012-07-18.
- 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.
- "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.
- Compare end of clip with Bing Maps Bird's Eye View of approximate location (choose eastward view).
- "Cleveland's Main Avenue Bridge draws red flags in National Bridge Inventory". cleveland.com. Associated Press. 2013-09-16. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
- "National Bridge Inventory - Management and Preservation - Bridges & Structures - Federal Highway Administration".
- Hlavaty, Kaylyn (2021-10-06). "Main Avenue Bridge recognized as 'industrial achievement' with historical landmark dedication". News 5 Cleveland. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
External links
- 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.