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State Street Bridge

State Street Bridge

Published April 1, 2026 By Sherman Cahal

The State Street Bridge is a closed-spandrel arch bridge over the Licking River in Zanesville, Ohio.

The State Street Bridge, also known as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Heritage Bridge, is a closed-spandrel arch bridge over the Licking River in Zanesville, Ohio.

An earlier iron bridge at the site measured 270 feet in length. 1 That structure remained in use into the 1920s and was repaired in 1923 at a cost of $5,000. 4

Planning for a replacement bridge began in 1930. Several engineers submitted proposals for three steel bridge designs ranging in cost from $79,800 to $93,700. 9 A concrete bridge design was also proposed at a cost of $118,400, but it was not initially favored because council members believed it could obstruct the river and cause floodwater backups. Bids for the new bridge were opened on June 26, 1931. 8

Construction of the new State Street Bridge began in 1931. In February 1932, C.A. Bock of the Morgan Engineering Company, who had been called in to review the bridge plans and work already underway, condemned the project. 7 Drawing on watershed surveys he had completed in 1928 and 1931, Bock argued that the bridge would impede floodwaters. Despite those objections, construction continued.

The replacement bridge, a two-span concrete arch structure, opened on September 24. 5 It was built by the Swingle-Robinson Construction Company of Columbus at a cost of $65,000. 6

The bridge was extensively rehabilitated in 2007.-08 2 That September, additional engineering work costing $32,559 was required after structural issues were discovered. 3

State Street Bridge
State Street Bridge
State Street Bridge
State Street Bridge

Details

  • State: Ohio
  • Route: State Street
  • Status: Active (Automobile)
  • Type: Closed Spandrel Arch
  • Total Length: 270'; 219' (1932)
  • Main Span Length: 106' (1932)
  • Deck Width: 17'; 42' (1932)
  • Roadway Width: 30' (1932)

Sources

  1. Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio. Sanborn Map Company, 1919. Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress.
  2. Gadd, Brian. “How do our bridges stack up?” The Times Recorder, 3 Aug. 2007, pp. 1A-6A.
  3. “More engineering needed on State Street Bridge.” The Times Recorder, 10 Sept. 2007, p. 3A.
  4. “City Will Repair State Street Bridge.” The Times Recorder, 30 Jan. 1923, p. 1.
  5. “New Bridge Will Be Open Saturday.” The Times Recorder, 19 Sept. 1932, p. 3.
  6. “New Bridge Over Licking River To Be Finished Soon.” The Times Recorder, 19 Jul. 1932, p. 3.
  7. “New Licking River Bridge Condemned.” The Times Recorder, 14 Feb. 1932, pp. 1-5.
  8. “Service Director To Open Bids for Important Jobs.” The Times Recorder, 22 Jun. 1931, p. 10.

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