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Brecksville-Northfield Bridge

Brecksville-Northfield Bridge

Primary Photographer(s): Nathan Holth

Bridge Documented: August 24, 2019

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Facility Carried / Feature Intersected
OH-82 (Aurora Road, Chippewa Road) Over Cuyahoga River
Location
Brecksville: Cuyahoga County, Ohio and Summit County, Ohio: United States
Structure Type
Concrete 5 Panel Open Spandrel Deck Arch, Fixed and Approach Spans: Pre-Stressed Concrete 2 Panel Box Beam, Fixed
Construction Date and Builder / Engineer
1931 By Builder/Contractor: Highway Construction Company of Cleveland, Ohio and Engineer/Design: Alfred M. Felgate
Rehabilitation Date
1989
Main Span Length
181.0 Feet (55.2 Meters)
Structure Length
1,130.0 Feet (344.4 Meters)
Roadway Width
20 Feet (6.1 Meters)
Spans
5 Main Span(s) and 2 Approach Span(s)
Inventory Number
7706871

Historic Significance Rating (HSR)
View Information About HSR Ratings

Bridge Documentation

This is an enormous high level deck arch bridge with attractive design details. The Historic Bridge Inventory references that the state designed the bridge, but the National Register Nomination, which appears more well-researched, states that the bridge is the design of Cuyahoga County engineer Alfred M. Felgate.

View Archived National Bridge Inventory Report - Has Additional Details and Evaluation

View Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) Documentation For This Bridge

HAER Data Pages, PDF

View National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form For This Bridge

Above: Photo from Historic American Engineering Record showing original railing.

Information and Findings From Ohio's Historic Bridge Inventory

Setting/Context

The bridge carries a 2 lane highway over the Cuyahoga River valley.

Physical Description

The 15 span, 1,133'-long, high-level bridge has seven 2-rib open-spandrel arch spans measuring from 181' to 90' long. It is finished with concrete balustrades, cantilevered deck section with brackets, incised-panel spandrel columns with arch caps, and incised panels at the piers.

Integrity

The bridge was rehabilitated in 1989. No significant changes to integrity observed.

Summary of Significance

The Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge is NR listed (1986). There have been no significant changes to the bridge's status. The 1931 open-spandrel arch bridge illustrates the attention to aesthetic detail characteristic of the most successful bridges designed by the state bureau of bridges in the 1920s and 1930s. The setting allows for a high-rise arch, illustrating the architectural lightness and proportions of the open spandrel arch type to great effect. "The reinforced concrete open spandrel arch was first constructed around 1906. It was the dominant form for concrete bridges in the 1920s and 1930s. By eliminating the walls and fill material of the closed spandrel, dead loads were reduced and cost savings were seen in materials with the open spandrel. Aesthetics was another factor with the open spandrel. They had a lightness and visual appeal and were used in prominent or scenic locations. Open spandrel construction marked engineering prowess during the 1930s and 1940s. By the 1940s, the open spandrel concrete structure began to be supplanted by the more pre-stressed beam and reinforced concrete girder structures. Open spandrel arch bridges have pierced spandrel wall with no fill material, and the spandrel columns transmit dead and live load from the deck to the arch. The arch ring may be either solid (barrel) or ribbed. Open spandrel arch bridges require more formwork to construct than filled spandrel bridges. Open spandrel concrete arches, while not uncommon, are not as common as many other bridge types built during this same era. They are significant because they represent the evolution of concrete technology. To be considered significant, open spandrel arches should have integrity through the retention of their character-defining features, which include arch ribs, ring or barrel; spandrel; spandrel columns; railing or parapet; and piers, abutments, and wingwalls." [From: A Context for Common Historic Bridge Types by Parsons Brinckerhoff, October 2005]

Justification

Because of the early emphasis on aesthetics at the local and state levels, Ohio has an impressive assemblage of long and shorter open spandrel arch bridges dating from 1907 through World War II. Twenty-three of the 25 predate World War II. Compared with its population, this example has a moderate level of significance.

Bridge Considered Historic By Survey: Yes

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Photo Galleries and Videos: Brecksville-Northfield Bridge

 

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Maps and Links: Brecksville-Northfield Bridge

Coordinates (Latitude, Longitude):

Search For Additional Bridge Listings:

Bridgehunter.com: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

Bridgehunter.com: View listed bridges within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of this bridge.

HistoricBridges.org Bridge Browser: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

HistoricBridges.org Bridge Browser: View listed bridges within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of this bridge.

2021 National Bridge Inventory: View listed bridges within 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) of this bridge.

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