Detroit–Superior Bridge

41°29′38″N 81°42′13″W / 41.493843°N 81.70365°W / 41.493843; -81.70365 (Detroit–Superior Bridge)Carries US 6 / US 20 / US 42 / SR 3CrossesCuyahoga RiverLocaleCleveland, OhioID number1800930CharacteristicsDesignThrough arch bridgeTotal length3,112 feet (949 m)Height196 feet (60 m)Longest span620 feet (190 m)Clearance below96 feet (29 m)HistoryConstruction start1914Construction end1917Opened1918 LocationOver Cuyahoga River Valley, between Detroit Ave. and Superior Ave., Cleveland, OhioCoordinates41°29′39″N 81°42′9″W / 41.49417°N 81.70250°W / 41.49417; -81.70250Area5.4 acres (2.2 ha)Built1917ArchitectLea, A. B.; Lander, Frank R.Architectural styleDouble-deck bridgeNRHP reference No.74001437^[1]Added to NRHPJanuary 18, 1974 Location

The Detroit–Superior Bridge or Detroit–Superior High Level Bridge (officially known as the Veterans Memorial Bridge) is a 3,112-foot-long (949 m) through arch bridge over the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. The bridge links Detroit Avenue on Cleveland's west side and Superior Avenue on Cleveland's east side, terminating west of Public Square. Construction by the King Bridge Company began in 1914 and completed in 1918, at a cost of $5.4 million. It was the first fixed high level bridge in Cleveland, and the third high-level bridge above the Cuyahoga (the first was the Old Superior Viaduct and the second the Central Viaduct, also built by the King Company). At the time of its completion, the bridge was the largest steel and concrete reinforced bridge in the world.

Specifications

The High Level Bridge starts on the east at the center line of West 9th Street and Superior, and extends across the Cuyahoga Valley to the junction of West 25th Street and Detroit Avenue. It is 3,112 feet (949 m) long. The total cost, including the land and a right of way, was $5,407,000, split as $1,687,200 was for land and $3,719,800 for the superstructure.^[2]

The bridge has 96 feet (29 m) of clearance above the river, and rises to 196 feet (60 m) above the river at the peak of the central span. The original construction included a main deck 75 feet (23 m) wide, with two 15 feet (4.6 m) sidewalks and a 45 feet (14 m) roadway. While the bridge's upper level is for road traffic, the lower level was intended for streetcars. It was built with four sets of these tracks, leaving room for two more, if needed.^[2]

The structure includes 12 concrete arches and one steel span. The steel span is 591 feet (180 m) long and crosses the Cuyahoga River. The steel span cost $646,747. About 2,123,300 cubic yards (1,623,400 m³) of concrete and 9,385,000 pounds (4,257,000 kg) of reinforcing steel were used in the construction of the arches.^[2] The concrete piles used in the foundation work, if placed end to end, would extend a distance of 28 miles (45 km). Each end of the structure has underground streetcar stations for the trams that operated on the lower deck.

Subway

The Detroit–Superior subway was an underground transit system that operated between 1917 until its closure January 24, 1954. The line served riders between Cleveland's west side and downtown. The system had two stations: West 25th (four platforms) and West 9th (two platforms), which included restrooms.^[3] The line ran on the lower level of the Detroit–Superior Bridge.^[4][5][6][7]

Gallery

• 
  Detroit-Superior Bridge in Cleveland
• 
  Video still from under the Detroit Superior Bridge
• 
  Cleveland Veterans Memorial Bridge Subway
• 
  West 25th station in 1939
• 
  West 25th station in 2013
• 
  West 9th station (approximate spot) in 2017
• Art installation in 2019

Modifications

Due to the closure of the streetcar operations, the subway level became unused. In November 1955, ramps to the lower level were closed. The Detroit–Superior Bridge remained a bottleneck during rush hour. A two-year renovation completed in May 1969 added two traffic lanes by narrowing existing sidewalks from 15 to 5 feet and cantilevering the new lanes outside the central arch.^[8]

On November 11, 1989 (Veterans Day), the bridge was renamed the Veterans Memorial Bridge.^[8] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 18, 1974.

In 2003, Cuyahoga County Commissioners approved the conversion of the two outside traffic lanes for pedestrian and bicycle use.^[9] The lower level and subway station are opened to the public for tours a few times per year, typically around Memorial Day, Labor Day, and for the Cleveland Ingenuity Festival. Self-guided tours are free of charge.^[10]

See also

•  Transport portal
•  Engineering portal
•  Ohio portal
• List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Ohio
• Hope Memorial Bridge
• List of crossings of the Cuyahoga River
• Cincinnati Subway
• Rochester subway

References

External links

TopicsGovernment

Local	Mayor City Council City Hall Cleveland Metro School District Shaker Heights City School District (part)
State	Lausche State Office Building
Federal	Celebrezze Federal Building Coast Guard District 9 Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland NASA Glenn Research Center Metzenbaum U.S. Courthouse Stokes U.S. Courthouse

Public safetyTransportation

Land	RTA Shoreway Detroit–Superior Bridge Hope Memorial Bridge
Air	Burke Lakefront Airport Hopkins International Airport
Water	Goodtime III Port of Cleveland

HealthcareCulture

Historic places	City Club of Cleveland Cleveland Arcade Cleveland Masonic Temple Cleveland Public Library Cleveland Trust Company Building Dunham Tavern Erie Street Cemetery Euclid Avenue Grays Armory Lake View Cemetery James A. Garfield Memorial Perry Monument Public Square Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument Terminal Tower West Side Market
Museums	A Christmas Story House Cleveland History Center Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland Museum of Natural History Children's Museum of Cleveland Cleveland Hungarian Museum Cozad–Bates House Interpretive Center Dittrick Museum of Medical History Great Lakes Science Center Steamship William G. Mather Museum NASA Glenn Visitors Center International Women's Air & Space Museum Italian American Museum of Cleveland Learning Center and Money Museum Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ukrainian Museum-Archives USS Cod
Parks and nature	Cleveland Botanical Garden Cleveland Metroparks Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Cuyahoga River Gordon Park Greater Cleveland Aquarium Lake Erie Lake Link Trail The Mall Rockefeller Park Cleveland Cultural Gardens Wade Park Willard Park
Performing arts	Cleveland Ballet Cleveland Cinematheque Cleveland Orchestra Severance Hall Cleveland Playhouse Cleveland Public Theatre Great Lakes Theater Karamu House Maltz Performing Arts Center Near West Theatre Playhouse Square Talespinner Children's Theatre
Sports, concert, and convention venues	Cleveland Browns Stadium Huntington Convention Center I-X Center Jacobs Pavilion Progressive Field Public Auditorium Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Wolstein Center
Traditions	Feast of the Assumption Dyngus Day Kurentovanje Saint Patrick's Day Sweetest Day Thyagaraja Festival

NeighborhoodsSports

Major league	NFL: Cleveland Browns NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers MLB: Cleveland Guardians
Minor League	G League: Cleveland Charge MLIS: Cleveland Crunch AHL: Cleveland Monsters
College	NCAA D1 (Horizon League): Cleveland State Vikings NCAA D3 (UAA): Case Western Reserve Spartans