Main Avenue Bridge

View of The Main Avenue Bridge from The Flats

Main Avenue Bridge
The underside of the bridge, as viewed from the Cuyahoga River, near the Flats
Carries	OH 2
Crosses	Cuyahoga River
Locale	Cleveland, Ohio
ID number	1800930
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)
Vertical clearance	100 feet (30 m) (over river)
Clearance below	96 feet (29 m)
Construction end	1939
Opened	1939
Coordinates	41°29′55″N 81°42′18″W / 41.4986620°N 81.7051315°W / 41.4986620; -81.7051315 (Main Avenue Bridge)Coordinates: 41°29′55″N 81°42′18″W / 41.4986620°N 81.7051315°W / 41.4986620; -81.7051315 (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, the longest elevated structure in Ohio.^[4] It was named for Harold H. Burton, 45th mayor of Cleveland, in late January 1986.^[5]

The Main Avenue Bridge replaced an 1869 bridge at the same site,^[4] and was built in conjunction with construction of the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway.^[6] Until the 2007 completion of the Veterans' Glass City Skyway in Toledo, it was the longest bridge in Ohio.

The bridge received extensive renovations 1991–1992.^[4][7] In 2007, the bridge received major structural repairs.^[8] It is maintained by the Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office.^[9]

The bridge is visible at the end of the "Cleveland Rocks" version of the opening credits of The Drew Carey Show.^[10]

See also

• List of crossings of the Cuyahoga River

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Main Avenue Bridge Cleveland Memorial Shoreway Bridge Historic Ohio Cuyahoga River Bridge". Historicbridges.org. 2007-06-24. http://www.historicbridges.org/ohio/mainavenue/. 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. http://www.historicbridges.org/ohio/mainavenue/. 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. http://www-catalog.cpl.org/CLENIX/AAF-7237. 
6. ^ "Memorial Shoreway". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History.
7. ^ Thoma, Pauline (1992-10-17). "Making a Drive to the Finish Line". The Plain Dealer. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_action=doc&p_topdoc=1&p_docnum=1&p_sort=YMD_date:D&p_product=NewsBank&p_text_direct-0=document_id=(%200F803D9FFAB0CA71%20)&p_docid=0F803D9FFAB0CA71&p_theme=aggregated5&p_queryname=0F803D9FFAB0CA71&f_openurl=yes&p_nbid=U70L59NSMTI0NjMxMjA1MC42NTcxNDc6MToxMjoxOTguMzAuMjI4LjA&&p_multi=CPDB. 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. http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/06/odot_withheld_fears_about_dang.html. Retrieved 2009-06-29. 
9. ^ "Organizational Duties". The Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
10. ^ Compare end of clip with Bing Maps Bird's Eye View of approximate location (choose eastward view).

External links

• Watson, Sara Ruth; John R. Wolfs (1981). "Chapter 2: The Four Great Viaducts". Bridges of Metropolitan Cleveland. pp. 28–31. http://www.clevelandmemory.org/ebooks/bmc/bmcchap2.html#p28.  Transcription at The Cleveland Memory Project website.