Rich Street Bridge

Rich Street Bridge is an open-spandrel arch bridge over the Scioto River on Rich Street and US Route 62 in downtown Columbus, Ohio.

History

The Town Street Bridge, a closed-spandrel arch bridge constructed to carry Town Street over the Scioto River in 1917, was closed to traffic because of structural deterioration on July 22, 2008. ¹

Planning for a new crossing at Rich Street began shortly thereafter, and groundbreaking ceremonies for the new bridge were held on March 12, 2010. ⁵ Designed by Burgess and Niple of Columbus and constructed by the Kokosing Construction Company of Westerville, ¹ work included the fabrication of precast concrete components in Grove City and the construction of a temporary rock causeway for pier construction. Eight temporary support towers were then used to install and stabilize 52 precast concrete segments and during post-tensioning operations. The use of precast concrete segments instead of poured concrete shortened construction by seven months and reduced expenses by $10 million. ²

The arches were completed by August 2011, ² and the new Rich Street Bridge opened to traffic on July 6, 2012. ³ It cost $36 million to complete, with funding derived from $3.2 million from federal sources, $2.1 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and $4.24 million from the Ohio Public Works Commission.

The new Rich Street Bridge received numerous awards and honors over its design and construction: ⁴

• 2014 Bridge Design Award of Excellence, Portland Cement Association (PCA)
• 2014 PCI Design Award: All Pre-cast Concrete Solution, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI)
• 2014 PCI Design Award: Best Bridge with Main Span from 76 to 149 Feet, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI)
• 2013 National Recognition Award, American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
• 2013 Outstanding Achievement Award, American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Ohio
• 2013 Project of the Year Award, American Society of Highway Engineers, Great Lakes Region
• 2013 Outstanding New Short span Bridge Award, Association for Bridge Construction & Design, Northeastern Ohio Chapter
• 2012 Outstanding Highway Project Award, American Society of Highway Engineers, Central Ohio Section
• 2012 Peer’s Choice Award, American Society of Highway Engineers, Central Ohio Section
• 2012 James B. Recchie Design & Preservation Award, Columbus Landmarks Foundation

Information

• State: Ohio
• Route: US Route 62, Rich Street
• Type: Open Spandrel Arch
• Status: Active - Automobile
• Total Length: 700 feet (1917); 568 feet (2012)
• Main Span Length: 113 feet (1917); 139 feet (2012)
• Deck Width: 40 feet (1917); 37 feet (2012)

Sources

1. Kiner, C. J. “Rich Street Bridge Project.” Aspire, Fall 2012, pp. 26-28.
2. “Rich Street Bridge.” Finley Engineering Group, article.
3. Evans, Walker. “Rich Street Bridge Officially Opens Downtown.” Columbus Underground, 6 Jul. 2012, article.
4. “The Rich Street Bridge.” Burgess & Niple, article.
5. “Construction Begins On New Rich Street Bridge.” 10TV, 16 Mar. 2010.