Ohio Road Trip VIII - Cuyahoga River bridges
Marc Fannin
starts attending graduate school at LSU happened yesterday (13), the
journey along the Cuyahoga River. (Trips I-VII are listed at
http://www.roadfan.com/triprep.html ) The route was essentially SR
700 SB from Hiram (jct. SR 82/305/700) to SR 88 (S)WB to Ravenna, then
local roads northwest to the Lake Rockwell reservoir on the river,
then roads paralleling the river from there downstream, cutting west
in Cuyahoga Falls to go from the southward-flowing section to the
northward-flowing one a few miles to the west, then going along mostly
park roads in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (
http://www.nps.gov/cuva/ ; scan of official map at
http://www.nps.gov/carto/ ) to the southern Cleveland suburbs. Lots
and lots of photos taken. Following are the highlights - bridges
listed were photographed and cross the Cuyahoga unless otherwise
noted; follow along in a DeLorme atlas or go to the first TerraServer
link provided below and change the x and y coordinates accordingly :)
(other TerraServer URLs are also provided throughout).
Crain Avenue bridge in Kent (a very early alignment of SR 43)
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=587&y=5694&z=17&w=2
Main Street bridge in Kent (a former alignment of SR 5 then, I
believe, briefly SR 59 until that route was shifted to a newer
near-southern downtown Kent bypass) - The river under the bridge is
having major channel work done.
http://www.kentohio.org/citydep/pubserv/dam-park.shtml (The updates
link goes to a page with photos)
Harvey Redmond wooden bridge within Fred Fuller Park in Kent
http://www.kentparksandrec.com/fredfuller.htm
Middlebury Road bridge just southwest of Kent and an adjacent old,
wooden, closed railroad overpass
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=585&y=5693&z=17&w=2
SR 91 crossing in Munroe Falls was "blase" (Sandor's choice of word)
and was not photographed
Sidewalk remnant of the old Bailey Road bridge in Cuyahoga Falls just
south of SR 59 and adjacent railroad bridge
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=576&y=5694&z=17&w=2
(Bridge is shown on that map as still extant)
Portage Path bridge on the north border of Akron was recently rebuilt
and widened so again no photograph
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=568&y=5692&z=17&w=2
(Begin Cuyahoga Valley National Park section)
Riverview Road over E-W Furnace Run (similar design to the nearby
Bolanz road over the Cuyahoga)
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=565&y=5701&z=17&w=2
Everett Road Covered Bridge over Furnace Run (a 1986 replica closed to
motor vehicles of the original late-1800s bridge destroyed in 1975)
http://www.nps.gov/cuva/history/CvrdBrdg.htm
The west approach was a Y-intersection when the former bridge carried
cars so currently there is a sharp U-turn for traffic there now with
one direction having a stop sign.
SR 303 bridge in Peninsula (bridge is plain, guardrails are ornate)
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=567&y=5706&z=17&w=2
Did not photograph the new I-80/Turnpike bridges or the I-271 bridges
(for information about the former go to
http://www.roadfan.com/ohtpk.html#bridge )
Station Road low-level bridge (likely former SR 82 crossing) and SR 82
high-level crossing on the Summit/Cuyahoga county line
http://www.nps.gov/cuva/visitonline/towpathtour/station.htm
http://www.nps.gov/cuva/visitonline/towpathtour/Rt82Brdg.htm
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=564&y=5717&z=17&w=2
Railroad access road just south of Pleasant Valley Road, Valley
View/Independence border
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=562&y=5723&z=17&w=2
Hillside Road and adjacent footbridge, Valley View/Independence border
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=561&y=5725&z=17&w=2
(by word "Lock")
(End Cuyahoga Valley National Park section)
At I-77 and Rockside Road, contacted Paul Wolf, long-time
misc.transport.road poster; met him at Randall Park Mall in North
Randall (I-480 EB to Warrensville Center Road NB). We then switched
from Sandor's car to his, after Sandor took some photos of the old
Warrensville Center Road/Miles Road (SR 43) cloverleaf
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=569&y=5733&z=17&w=2
from the mall parking lot, and worked our way back to the river via
I-480, Transportation Blvd., SR 17, Schaaf Road (old SR 17), and
various other valley roads. More bridge highlights:
Harvard Road bridge (older) and Havard-Denison bridge (newer) (photos
of neither)
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=554&y=5736&z=17&w=2
Clark Avenue bridge
On the topo http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=554&y=5738&z=17&w=2
the bridge is shown crossing the river. Nowadays it descends to a
road in the river flats on the west bakn before crossing the river,
with the supports for the former longer crossing front-and-center
where the current bridge ends (compare to the aerial photo).
I-490 bridge (no photo)
West 3rd Street bridge
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=554&y=5742&z=17&w=2
(at "BM 582")
Eagle Avenue Bridge and adjacent West 3rd Street ramp, both closed
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=554&y=5742&z=17&w=2
(just south of the blue "23" in the river, which just happens to be
Collision Bend)
These structures may never open again due to their extreme
deterioration. A plan for their replacement is underway and may be
viewed at
http://www.clevelandflats.org/EagleSurvey.asp .
We explored various other bridges from there to the mouth of the
river, but not many photos were taken since we already covered most of
them during Road Trip II on August 31, 1999 (see
http://www.roadfan.com/clebri.html and
http://groups.google.com/groups?th=73bb16d87055899d ) but we did find
the new office of the Cuyahoga County Engineer (Paul's old employer,
http://www.cuyctyengineers.org/ ) along the Superior Viaduct.
From there we took SR 2 and I-90/SR 2 (Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
East) to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to photograph the old arch
overpasses, then went through the University Circle Cultural District
(along the US 20/322 section of Euclid Avenue) where Paul showed us
the last remaining portion of the actual circle in the southwest
quadrant of the Euclid/Stearns Road intersection (where US 322 EB
one-way turns onto US 20/Euclid)
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=10&x=2245&y=22974&z=17&w=0
(above the "100M" in the scale) then worked our way southeast through
Shaker Square and the Chagrin Blvd/Van Aken/Warrensville Center
intersection (see
http://www.roadfan.com/eastcle.html#vanaken ) over to the Chagrin
Falls area via US 422, US 422/SR 87, SR 87/old US 422 and old US 422
(all Chagrin Boulevard) to photograph a few Chagrin River bridges and
the remaining supports at a former Chagrin River Road bridge site
(IIRC it was near Bentleyville
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=582&y=5731&z=17&w=2
but I can't remember exactly where - Paul?).
After Paul departed, we took Warrensville Center Road north to Shaker
Boulevard (SR 87) to photograph the wide space between the EB and WB
lanes from SR 175/Richmond Road, where I-290 might have been planned
to be built (see
http://www.kurumi.com/roads/3di/i290.html#290oh ), then took I-271 NB
from Cedar Road to I-90 EB to SR 91 SB to US 6 EB to photograph the
older and newer Chagrin River crossings along US 6
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=583&y=5755&z=17&w=2
then went one bridge south (Rogers Road on the Cuyahoga/Lake county
boundary) to find that the bridge which carried Rogers straight east
to the other side where it immediately turned north
http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=582&y=5752&z=17&w=2
was recently replaced by a bridge curving counterclockwise.
http://www.venangoil.com/bridgesrogersroad.html
It was late, so that was the end of the journey. We took Chagrin
River Road (SR 174) south to Wilson Mills Road WB to I-271 SB at the
first exit south of I-90 to US 422 EB to SR 700 SB to Hiram.
________________________________________________________________________
Marc Fannin|musx...@kent.edu or @hotmail.com| http://www.roadfan.com/
[Also posted at Yahoo! Groups GreatLakesRoads]
Paul S. Wolf
Note the current location of the Station Road bridge is NOT the original
location. It was disassembled and rebuilt in the park. I don't think
it was ever SR-82.
and SR 82
> high-level crossing on the Summit/Cuyahoga county line
> http://www.nps.gov/cuva/visitonline/towpathtour/station.htm
> http://www.nps.gov/cuva/visitonline/towpathtour/Rt82Brdg.htm
> http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=564&y=5717&z=17&w=2
>
> Railroad access road just south of Pleasant Valley Road, Valley
> View/Independence border
> http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=562&y=5723&z=17&w=2
>
> Hillside Road and adjacent footbridge, Valley View/Independence border
> http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=561&y=5725&z=17&w=2
> (by word "Lock")
I haven't been there lately. If there is a new footbridge over the
river, it sounds like they finally replaced the old bridge over the
Canal and completely rebuilt the truss bridge over the river. I worked
on the plans for that job. I think it also included wood guardrail (see
below)
>
> (End Cuyahoga Valley National Park section)
>
> At I-77 and Rockside Road, contacted Paul Wolf, long-time
> misc.transport.road poster; met him at Randall Park Mall in North
> Randall (I-480 EB to Warrensville Center Road NB). We then switched
> from Sandor's car to his, after Sandor took some photos of the old
> Warrensville Center Road/Miles Road (SR 43) cloverleaf
> http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=569&y=5733&z=17&w=2
> from the mall parking lot, and worked our way back to the river via
> I-480, Transportation Blvd., SR 17, Schaaf Road (old SR 17), and
> various other valley roads.
Van Epps/Bradley Road to Harvard, then the Harvard Dennison Bridge to
SR-176 Jennings Freeway to West 14th Street to Clark to Quigley to West 3rd.
More bridge highlights:
>
> Harvard Road bridge (older) and Havard-Denison bridge (newer) (photos
> of neither)
> http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=554&y=5736&z=17&w=2
>
> Clark Avenue bridge
> On the topo http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=554&y=5738&z=17&w=2
> the bridge is shown crossing the river. Nowadays it descends to a
> road in the river flats on the west bakn before crossing the river,
> with the supports for the former longer crossing front-and-center
> where the current bridge ends (compare to the aerial photo).
>
> I-490 bridge (no photo)
>
> West 3rd Street bridge
> http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=554&y=5742&z=17&w=2
> (at "BM 582")
>
> Eagle Avenue Bridge and adjacent West 3rd Street ramp, both closed
> http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=554&y=5742&z=17&w=2
> (just south of the blue "23" in the river, which just happens to be
> Collision Bend
> These structures may never open again due to their extreme
> deterioration. A plan for their replacement is underway and may be
> viewed at
> http://www.clevelandflats.org/EagleSurvey.asp .
From West 3rd, we took the Stones Levee Bridge which is directly UNDER
the Eagle Ramp, to Canal Road, then the Carter Road Bridge, the Columbus
Road Bridge, and the Center Street Swing Bridge, then up onto Superior
Viaduct
>
> We explored various other bridges from there to the mouth of the
> river, but not many photos were taken since we already covered most of
> them during Road Trip II on August 31, 1999 (see
> http://www.roadfan.com/clebri.html and
> http://groups.google.com/groups?th=73bb16d87055899d ) but we did find
> the new office of the Cuyahoga County Engineer (Paul's old employer,
> http://www.cuyctyengineers.org/ ) along the Superior Viaduct.
>
> From there we took SR 2 and I-90/SR 2 (Cleveland Memorial Shoreway
> East) to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to photograph the old arch
> overpasses, then went through the University Circle Cultural District
> (along the US 20/322 section of Euclid Avenue) where Paul showed us
> the last remaining portion of the actual circle in the southwest
> quadrant of the Euclid/Stearns Road intersection (where US 322 EB
> one-way turns onto US 20/Euclid)
> http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=1&s=10&x=2245&y=22974&z=17&w=0
> (above the "100M" in the scale) then worked our way southeast through
> Shaker Square and the Chagrin Blvd/Van Aken/Warrensville Center
> intersection (see
> http://www.roadfan.com/eastcle.html#vanaken ) over to the Chagrin
> Falls area via US 422, US 422/SR 87, SR 87/old US 422 and old US 422
> (all Chagrin Boulevard)
To Chagrin River Road to SR-87 out into Geauga County, then back to
Falls Road, which is currently being reconstructed with BRICK pavement,
then North Main Street into Chagrin Falls.
to photograph a few Chagrin River bridges
Main Street, Miles Road (two bridges one over the river and one over a
creek leading into the river, but only about 200 feet from the first) &
Solon Road
(The Miles Bridges were recently rebuilt and the Solon Bridge was
totally replaced a few years ago by my old employer. Both sites have
decorative elements on the bridges and steel backed WOOD guardrail on
the approaches. (The Guardrail uses an FHWA park design that has been
crash tested to meet NCHRP 350.) The Solon Bridge job also involved
major road work on the approaches and substantial realignments (both
horizontal and vertical changes) from Chagrin River Road to Cannon Road,
including the Liberty Road intersection.
and
> the remaining supports at a former Chagrin River Road bridge site
> (IIRC it was near Bentleyville
> http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=582&y=5731&z=17&w=2
> but I can't remember exactly where - Paul?).
Its on Chagrin River Road and is in Bentleyville (between Solon Road and
Miles Road.
Then Cannon Road to SR-175, through the one-lane underpass (Arch) under
the railroad, and continuing on Cannon Road to SR-43 and back to Randall
Mall. The bridge collapsed years ago after a snow plow/salt truck
crossed it fully loaded.
> After Paul departed, we took Warrensville Center Road north to Shaker
> Boulevard (SR 87) to photograph the wide space between the EB and WB
> lanes from SR 175/Richmond Road, where I-290 might have been planned
> to be built (see
> http://www.kurumi.com/roads/3di/i290.html#290oh ), then took I-271 NB
> from Cedar Road to I-90 EB to SR 91 SB to US 6 EB to photograph the
> older and newer Chagrin River crossings along US 6
> http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=583&y=5755&z=17&w=2
> then went one bridge south (Rogers Road on the Cuyahoga/Lake county
> boundary) to find that the bridge which carried Rogers straight east
> to the other side where it immediately turned north
> http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=582&y=5752&z=17&w=2
> was recently replaced by a bridge curving counterclockwise.
> http://www.venangoil.com/bridgesrogersroad.html
>
> It was late, so that was the end of the journey. We took Chagrin
> River Road (SR 174) south to Wilson Mills Road WB to I-271 SB at the
> first exit south of I-90 to US 422 EB to SR 700 SB to Hiram.
>
> ________________________________________________________________________
> Marc Fannin|musx...@kent.edu or @hotmail.com| http://www.roadfan.com/
>
> [Also posted at Yahoo! Groups GreatLakesRoads]
--
Paul S. Wolf, P.E. mailto:paul....@alum.wpi.edu
Traffic Engineer, Traff-Pro Consultants, Inc.
Wickliffe, Ohio 44092
Member, Institute of Transportation Engineers
Marc Fannin
> On 6/14/2004 4:05 PM, Marc Fannin wrote:
>
> > The last Ohio Roadtrip in the 5-year series before Sandor Gulyas
> > starts attending graduate school at LSU happened yesterday (13), the
> > journey along the Cuyahoga River. [snip]
> >
> > Station Road low-level bridge (likely former SR 82 crossing)
> > and SR 82 high-level crossing on the Summit/Cuyahoga county line
> > http://www.nps.gov/cuva/visitonline/towpathtour/station.htm
> > http://www.nps.gov/cuva/visitonline/towpathtour/Rt82Brdg.htm *
> > http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=564&y=5717&z=17&w=2
>
> Note the current location of the Station Road bridge is NOT the original
> location. It was disassembled and rebuilt in the park.
Interesting. It lined up well with the disconnected Station Road
segment on the other side of the railroad track, so if you hadn't said
anything, I never would have guessed. The first link above mentions
the disassembly/reassembly but says nothing about position.
> I don't think it was ever SR-82.
It could have been - there has been a state route here since the
inception of the Ohio state system (although until 1926 this
particular section was SR 81, not SR 82)
http://pages.prodigy.net/john.simpson/highways/082.html
http://pages.prodigy.net/john.simpson/highways/081.html
and the current bridge wasn't built until 1931 (see the second link at
top, with the *), so it would have had to have been on a bridge at the
location of the current one according to maps if not using the Station
Road Bridge, but it seems unlikely that one would have been there for
such a short amount of time - in 1901 the only crossing there was the
Station Road one
http://historical.maptech.com/getImage.cfm?fname=clvl03se.jpg&state=OH
and the Ohio state route system had been established by 1924
http://pages.prodigy.net/john.simpson/highways/expls.html , 4th
paragraph
so that'd be less than 23 years, and with the elevation change, I
doubt there'd even have been a temporary bridge there. But stranger
things have happened, so who knows....