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This bridge is an extremely rare example of a Melan arch bridge, which involves using solid steel arch ribs inside the concrete for reinforcement instead of the reinforcing rods (rebar) that later became the dominant reinforcement type. There are actually two Melan arch bridges in Melan park, the other one a short distance west of this one on Lexington Parkway. This foot bridge has been abandoned for many years and has deteriorated. The only interesting thing caused by the deterioration is that it exposed the reinforcing, allowing HistoricBridges.org to photograph this part of the bridge that should be hidden from view. The steel arches are built up and include v-lacing in the lower sections and battens in the upper sections (in the vicinity of the crown), which hold a pair of angles together. In the 1960s, vandals destroyed the beautiful concrete balustrade railing on this bridge. This bridge was previously at risk for demolition, but recently a decision was made to rehabilitate this historic bridge. The city even located the original plans for the railings in a historical article, and will be replicating them on this bridge. The project is ongoing as of 2015. When completed, it appears this will represent an outstanding historic concrete bridge preservation project.
This bridge is tagged with the following special condition(s): Melan
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