|
Key Facts |
Bridge Name | Type | Road | Location | City | Crossing |
| Anthony Wayne Bridge | Suspension | OH-2 and OH-5 | Lucas County, OH | Toledo | Maumee River |
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Technical Facts |
|
Construction Date |
Rehabilitation Date | Deck Width | Roadway Width | Approach Spans | Superstructure Builder |
| 1931 | 1961 | 60 Feet | 54 Feet | 25 | McClintic-Marshall Company |
| Structure Length | Center Suspension Span Length | Approach Suspension Span Length | Total Suspended Length |
| 3215 Feet | 785 Feet | 233.5 Feet | 1252 Feet |
I had driven by this bridge many times and seen it from I-75, but you really have to go into town to get a closer look at this magnificent suspension bridge. This is Toledo's centerpiece landmark bridge, and it is an impressive one, constructed in 1931. The superstructure of this bridge was built by the McClintic-Marshall Company, which is the same company that built the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit, as well as Detroit's Southern Street Railroad Overpass. Waddell and Hardesty were consulting engineers for the structure.
The bridge features an attractive tower design. The towers feature various lattice patterns, and some of the structural steel on them is itself latticed. The top and bottom horizontal parts to the towers above the road have a slight arch curve to them. The towers do not have the extremely tall feeling that some suspension bridges have, because of a medium span length coupled with a wide four-lane roadway on this bridge create the illusion of shorter towers. This is unlike the Fort Steuben Bridge, which is also a medium-length suspension span (actually within a foot of being the exact length of the Anthony Wayne!), but it has a narrow two-lane deck, so the towers look very tall.
The suspender cables for this bridge extend down from the main cable in sets of two as seen here, rather than the normal single cable as seen on the Fort Steuben Bridge. Stiffening for the deck of the Anthony Wayne bridge is accomplished via a through plate girder design. The bridge features Warren deck truss approaches. These approach spans feature riveted connections, and v-lacing/lattice. Original decorative sidewalk railings are present on the bridge.
This bridge appears to be maintained quite well, which is good to see. The bridge is currently painted a sky blue color. I do however wish that they could find a more tasteful way to keep people from throwing stuff off the bridge than the current cyclone fence solution. The fencing greatly detracts from the aesthetic value of the structure. The only good thing is that the center span doesn't have the fencing.
