|
Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| Callender Road Bridge | Truss | Callender Road | Ashtabula County, OH | Rural | Grand River |
|
Technical Facts |
|
Construction Date |
Structure Length | Roadway Width |
| 1913 | 253 Feet | 16.1 Feet |
The planned demolition of this bridge proves that Ashtabula County doesn't have a genuine care for their transportation heritage. This beautiful bridge is one of the most unique structures I have seen. For one thing, it features through plate girder approaches although the main span is a through truss... very unusual. Much like the Shanley Road Bridge, this design is aesthetically pleasing, with the smaller low-profile approach spans leading up to the large main span. The plate girders, with their simple design accomplish this appearance quite well. The bridge is a unique example of two individually well-known structural types combined into a single structure. In addition, the main truss span is highly unusual. Although the connections are riveted, this is still a lightweight style truss bridge, using member sizes similar to those seen on pin connected structures. The bridge is skewed, quite noticeably, which makes the bridge noteworthy. The truss span on the Callender Road bridge is similar to the truss span on the Harpersfield Bridge as seen on Daniel Alward's website. Note the portal bracing design and the unusual feature of v-lacing on both the top and bottom sides of the top chord/end post. The span on Harpersfield was attributed to the Riverside Bridge Company, and it was also built in 1913. It is therefore possible that the Riverside Bridge Company built the Callender Road Bridge as well. The similarities could also the result of an early standard plan bridge designed by either the state or county. Regardless of the fact that more than one bridge in Ashtabula County has v-lacing on the both sides of the top chord/end post, that characteristic remains a rare one, and in my opinion and attractive one also. All of these significant traits of the Callender Road Bridge should be more than enough reason to preserve the bridge instead of demolishing it as the plans are now. Also, the fact that this bridge is on the Grand River, a river designated a "Wild and Scenic River" by the state should be further reason to preserve the bridge. However I have found in the past that officially designating rivers as scenic doesn't do anything for a historic bridge, and can even help condemn them, despite the fact that the bridges are an attribute for the river. Again, the Shanley Road Bridge provides an example of where a scenic river designation aided in demolition.
