Albertus L. Meyers Bridge
N 40° 35.802 W 075° 28.277
18T E 460123 N 4494095
The Alberus S. Meyers bridge is an open-spandrel arch bridge over Little Lehigh Creek on PA 2055 (8th Street) in Allentown.
Waymark Code: WM5DN2
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 12/23/2008
Views: 13
When opened for traffic on November 17, 1913, the Albertus L. Meyers Bridge, then known as the Eighth Street Bridge, was the longest and highest concrete bridge in the world.[2]
The bridge spans the Little Lehigh Creek, linking Allentown's center city with the city's South Side. The bridge has seventeen spans and is longer than the more massive Tunkhannock Viaduct of the same type.
The Lehigh Valley Transit Company organized the Allentown Bridge Company in 1911 for the sole purpose of building the bridge. The bridge was designed by the engineering firm of B.H. Davis and built by McArthur Brothers of New York City. Costing in excess of $500,000, construction of the bridge required 29,500 cubic yards (22,600 m3) of concrete and 1.1 million pounds of metal reinforcing rods.
The structure operated as a toll bridge from its November 17, 1913 opening until the 1950s, at which time the toll was five cents for an automobile.
The Liberty Bell Line, Lehigh Valley Transit's electric street car line that went to Quakertown, Sellersville, Lansdale, Norristown and Philadelphia ran across the bridge until the company ceased street trolley service in 1953. The concrete standards that once supported the trolley wire are still standing on the bridge to this day.
Source: Wikipedia (naturally).
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