Bridge designated an engineering landmark
The Anthony Wayne Bridge last week was designated a historic civil engineering landmark during a ceremony at Middlegrounds Metropark.
The American Society of Civil Engineers Toledo Section recognized the bridge in honor of their 100th anniversary.
An informational display marking the bridge and its history was unveiled during the ceremony.
ASCE Toledo, Metroparks Toledo, and the Ohio Department of Transportation collaborated on the display.
“We sought nominations from ASCE members, as well as the county engineers from the 17 Ohio counties that make up the Toledo section. Eligible landmarks needed to be technically and socially significant, built at least 50 years ago, and still intact, said Brian Randolph, ASCE Toledo board member. “Nominations spanned a broad range of amazing infrastructure projects, from canals to courthouses, monuments to skyscrapers, and, of course, bridges.”
The bridge is a suspension bridge, which is different in design from the city’s Veterans Glass City Skyway Bridge, which is a cable-stayed bridge.
The bridge was dedicated Oct. 27, 1931 and is the last remaining suspension bridge in ODOT’s inventory.
Also called the High Level Bridge, it carries state routes 2, 51, and 65 over the Maumee River.
Bridge facts:
-The bridge carries four lanes of traffic plus sidewalks on a 60-foot-wide roadway deck.
-The main cable-supported span is 785 feet long between the towers with two-side spans that are each 233.5 feet long.
-The total length of the bridge, including the two sloping elevated approaches, is 3,215 feet.
-The two main cables are 13 5/16 inches in diameter and contain 19 strands of galvanized steel wires compressed into a circular bundle.