The Nickel Plate Road High-Level Bridge consists of a vertical lift over the Cuyahoga River and extensive viaducts and trusses over the valley and is in use today by Norfolk Southern Railroad.
History
The Nickel Plate Road High-Level Bridge, encompassing a vertical lift span over the Cuyahoga River and extensive viaducts and trusses across the valley, was constructed in stages from 1906 to 1957. This bridge is currently in operation, utilized by the Norfolk Southern Railroad.
In the 19th century, the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, also known as the Nickel Plate Road, expanded its route through Cleveland. 1 3 This expansion necessitated the construction of a bridge over the Cuyahoga River and its surrounding valley. The bridge, designed by J. A. Latcha (Chief Engineer), W. M. Hughes (Bridge Engineer), and W. A. Boch (Substructure Engineer), was completed in 1882. It was a wrought iron viaduct standing 68 feet high, featuring alternating tower spans and intermediate spans of Fink truss design, all supported by sandstone masonry piers. This structure also included a pin-connected deck truss swing span and was built to carry a double-track line. At the time of its completion, the viaduct was the longest in the United States. 1
Initially, when the viaduct was constructed, the average weight of locomotives was 66 tons. 3 However, by 1907, locomotives had become significantly heavier, averaging 145 tons, leading to signs of deterioration and strain on the viaduct. Consequently, in that year, the original viaduct was replaced with a new 3,010-foot plate girder structure, which had 30-foot tower spans and 60-foot intermediate spans and was elevated 50 to 60 feet above the ground. This replacement was overseen by E. E. Hart (Chief Engineer) and A. J. Himes (Bridge Engineer) of the railroad.
In 1917, further modifications were made when the original swing span over the river was replaced with a 167-foot bascule bridge. 1 This new bridge, designed by the Scherzer Rolling Lift Bridge Company, allowed for a 124.7-foot clear channel beneath it.
A $11 million project commenced in 1937 to remove hazardous curves and widen the navigational channel of the Cuyahoga River. 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. It included the construction of a new bridge (Nickel Plate Bridge No. 15) for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad.
The main span over the river underwent replacement in 1957, this time with a 267-foot vertical lift affording a 200-foot clear channel for river navigation. 1 3 The design for this replacement was provided by Hardesty & Hanover and railway company engineers R.T. Hewitt, H.H. Whitmore, and E.F. Marley. The construction was carried out by the Koch Steel Erecting Company of New York, the Hunkin-Conkey Company, and the Mount Vernon Bridge Company of Mount Vernon, Ohio. 1 2 3
In 1964, the Nickel Plate Road merged with several other Midwestern carriers to form the larger Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W). N&W then combined with the Southern Railway in 1982, resulting in the formation of the Norfolk Southern Railroad (NS).
Gallery
Details
- State: Ohio
- Route: Norfolk Southern Railroad
- Status: Active (Railroad)
- Type: Vertical Lift, Parker Through Truss
- Total Length: 3,010'
- Main Span Length: 267'
- Spans: 0
- Deck Width: 0
- Roadway Width: 0
- Height of Structure: 0
- Above Vertical Clearance: 0
- Navigational Clearance: 0
Sources
- Watson, Sara Ruth and John R. Wolfs. Bridges of Metropolitan Cleveland, 1981.
- Holth, Nathan. “Nickel Plate Road High-Level Bridge.” HistoricBridges.org, 24 Jun. 2007.
- Bluestone, Daniel M., ed. “New York, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad Viaduct.” Cleveland: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites, Historic American Engineering Record, 1978, p. 87.