Hialeah-Miami Springs Vertical Lift Bridge - Miami Springs, Florida, USA
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BoomersOTR
N 25° 49.330 W 080° 16.811
17R E 572146 N 2856187
Historical marker on a pedestrian bridge west of the Hialeah-Miami Springs Vertical Lift Bridge.
Waymark Code: WM124B7
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 02/24/2020
Views: 2
Spanning the Miami River Canal is a historic vertical lift bridge from the 1920's.
Marker Inscription:
Originally located on the Miami River Canal at NW 36th Street, the Hialeah-Miami Springs Vertical Lift Bridge was erected in 1927 to provide much needed access to the growing cities of Hialeah and Miami Springs. The bridge was designed, fabricated, and installed by the Champion Bridge Company of Ohio. In 1954, this bridge was transported by barge down the Miami River Canal to its present location and served as a companion structure to the nearby Miami River Canal Warren Pony Swing Span Bridge. Due to the damming of the Miami River in the 1940’s, the bridge’s vertical lift truss span no longer needed to operate in order for boats to travel through the waterway. Eventually, in 1983, the bridge’s 125,00-pound counterweights, which helped hoist the truss span, were removed.
The Hialeah-Miami Springs Vertical Lift Bridge is 132 feet long and 32 feet wide. This popular type of movable bridge is characterized by its truss span that is moved upwards by a system of cable and pulleys, called sheaves, and large counterweights. This unusual structure is the only bridge in the State of Florida with a Parker truss design, which features a polygonal top chord that changed pitches at every panel point. The historic Hialeah-Miami Springs Vertical Lift Bridge is also one of four vertical lift bridges existing in Florida. This bridge has been designated as a historic site by the cities of Miami Springs and Hialeah.
Marker Number: n/a
Date: unknown
County: Miami-Dade
Marker Type: Other
Sponsored or placed by: City of Miami Springs
Website: [Web Link]
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