Carter Road Bridge

The Carter Road Bridge, spanning the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, was built between 1939 and 1940. This construction was part of a broader project that included the development of the Terminal Tower complex and the Collision Bend Cut 5A project. It replaced the lower and middle West Third Street Bridges, which were demolished to facilitate these developments.

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History

Carter Road in Cleveland, named in honor of the city’s first permanent settler, Lorenzo Carter, has historically been a key location for a bridge over the Cuyahoga River. ¹¹ The initial bridge at this site was built in 1853 but collapsed in 1857 due to being overloaded with cattle. A replacement was quickly erected. In 1888, an iron swing bridge was constructed, featuring a pivotal main span of 180 feet and an additional fixed span of 105 feet.

The area saw its fourth bridge iteration in 1903, which was notable for its Scherzer Rolling Lift main span, a first for Cleveland. ¹¹ This bridge had a double-leaf drawspan measuring 138 feet, accompanied by a 23-foot wide roadway and two sidewalks, each six feet wide.

Cuyahoga River Streamlining Project

A $11 million project commenced in 1937 to remove hazardous curves and widen the navigational channel of the Cuyahoga River. ^{1 11} This project aimed to expand the river’s navigational width and soften sharp curves, following recommendations from the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the River and Harbor Committee of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce. This included a new bridge on Carter Road as part of the Collision Bend Cut 5A project.

A public hearing was held to discuss this need. Wilbur, Watson & Associates proposed constructing a vertical lift span. ^{11 12} In January 1939, Lombardo Bros. Construction Company of Cleveland won a $158,000 contract for the substructure’s caissons, outsourcing foundation work to Western Foundation Company of Chicago for $110,000. ^{4 12} The Mt. Vernon Bridge Company was awarded the superstructure contracts on April 12, ^{9 12} with the Bass Construction Company handling the erection work. ^{11 12} The bridge was expected to be completed by May 15, 1940. ⁸

However, on February 20, two councilmen from southwestern wards protested the project at a city council meeting, arguing that the bridge did not provide adequate access to their wards. ⁷ Despite their protests, construction progressed rapidly, with the north tower nearly ready for lifting equipment installation by December 6. ⁸ Construction on the south tower had also begun, and by mid-February 1940, the two towers were connected with a Pratt through truss. ³

On March 4, Republican Floor Leader Herman Finkle suspended all Cuyahoga River improvement projects, including the Carter Road bridge, pending an investigation into the substructure contracts. ⁴ Finkle accused Lombardo Bros. of profiting unfairly from subcontracting to Western Foundation Company, but the companies were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing. ^{4 5 6}

Due to these delays, the new Carter Road bridge opened two weeks behind schedule in June. ² The bridge had a total length of 284 feet and featured a 220-foot vertical lift span. ¹² It included a 46.5-foot wide roadway and two sidewalks, each measuring five feet in width. Under normal operations, the bridge could be lifted 74.6 feet, allowing ships with a clearance of approximately 97 feet to pass beneath. Additionally, an emergency lift feature could provide an extra five feet of clearance when required.

It underwent rehabilitation in 1989. ¹⁰ In 2005, an inspection revealed that while its structure was sound, the machinery and electrical equipment were outdated, with many parts showing significant wear or deterioration. The counterweights were so degraded they needed replacement.

In March 2009, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency was authorized to seek approximately $2.5 million for the bridge’s rehabilitation. ¹⁰ The project, which began in May 2010, was expected to be 80% funded by Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds, with Cleveland covering the remaining cost of $446,000.

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Gallery

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Details

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Sources

1. Dean, Jewell R. “Marine News.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 19 Mar. 1939: 56. Print.
2. “New Lift Bridges Ready By June 1.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland], 10 May 1940: 10. Print.
3. “Riveters Build Bridge in Icy Air Above River.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland], 1 Feb. 1940: 11. Print.
4. Lawrence, Charles W. “Sidetracks River Jobs for Probe.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland], 5 Mar. 1940: 1-6. Print.
5. “Defends Transfer of Bridge Contract.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland], 6 Mar. 1940: 15. Print.
6. “Lays Span ‘Data’ to Troublemaker.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland], 12 Mar. 1940: 5. Print.
7. “Bridge Approach Protests Hold Up Land Acquisition.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland], 21 Feb. 1939: 4. Print.
8. “Carter Bridge Ahead of Schedule.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland], 7 Dec. 1939: 11. Print.
9. “Work Progresses on New Carter Road Bridge.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland], 12 Apr. 1939: 20. Print.
10. “Rehabilitate the Carter Road Lift Bridge in Cleveland.” Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, n.d. 27 July 2012. Article.
11. Watson, Sara Ruth, and John R. Wolfs. “Moveable Bridges.”Bridges of Metropolitan Cleveland. By SaraRuth Watson and John R. Wolfs. N.p.: n.p., 1981. 48-49. Print.
12. Bluestone, Daniel M., ed. “Carter Road Bridge.” Cleveland: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites, Historic American Engineering Record, 1978, p. 93.