Fort Steuben Bridge - Steubenville, OH
Posted by: 
ArmyFamily4
N 40° 22.670 W 080° 36.924
17T E 532647 N 4469765
This beautiful wonder of engineering is a classic 1920's wire-cable suspension bridge. The bridge was last rehabilitated in 1972 but is so structurally deficient that it is currently closed for use.
Waymark Code: WMB5C0
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 04/07/2011
Views: 10
The total suspended length is 1251.75 feet, the center suspension span length is 688.75 feet, and the approach suspension span length consists of two spans at 283 feet each. Navigational vertical underclearance is 86 feet and the vertical underclearance at the railroad line is 20.3 feet.
The bridge features a lattice design for the tower structure. The bottoms of the towers have an attractive arch to them. Both Carnegie and Jones and Laughlin brands can be found on the various steel parts of the bridge. Compared to the fairly nearby Market Street Bridge, the towers on this bridge feel very tall and impressive. Some of this is due to the fairly narrow roadway width, which gives the illusion that the towers are taller. The bridge retains good overall historic integrity for a bridge of this size, although i-beams have been added that run parallel to the top chord of the stiffening truss. Other modifications include replacement of connection rivets with bolts.
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has begun the Project Development Process for the removal of the Fort Steuben Bridge. The Veterans Memorial Bridge (less than 1/2 mile away) was constructed in 1990 to replace the Fort Steuben Bridge.
ODOT proposed the Fort Steuben Bridge Removal Project to safely remove the bridge and improve signage and access for re-routing traffic to the US 22 Veterans Memorial Bridge.
The 80 year old structure is at the end of its useful life and is functionally obsolete. Its lanes are narrow and cannot be redesigned to provide additional width. There is a continuing concern over the integrity of the structure.
The travel demand for and use of the Fort Steuben Bridge has decreased due to the weight restrictions on it. The newer US 22 Bridge is structurally adequate and provides a sufficient level of service and roadway capacity for the region now and into the future.
Original Use: Vehicle - Car / Truck
Date Built: 1928
Construction: Steel
Condition: Poor
See this website for more information: [Web Link]
Date Abandoned: January 8th, 2009
Bridge Status - Orphaned or Adopted.: Orphaned
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