Prospect State Route 47 Bridge
1913 - 2007
The single-span Parker Through Truss Bridge that previously carried State Route 47 over the Scioto River at this location was constructed by the Standard Engineering Company of Toledo shortly after the Flood of 1913 destroyed the wrought iron bridge.
In 1983 the Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio Historic Preservation Office designated the Prospect Bridge a historic structure, eligible for listing in the National Register for Historic Places as a significant example of Parker Truss design in Ohio. It featured a 217-foot span with pin connections on the upper and lower chords.
The Parker Through Truss design was patented in 1870 by Charles H. Parker of Boston, Massachusetts. This variation of the Pratt Truss design used fewer materials because the end vertical and horizontal members were shorter, creating a slanted vertical at both ends of the truss, which also improved its adaptability to custom span lengths.
The Prospect Bridge was replaced in 2007 due to increased traffic and load requirements. At the time of its replacement, there were ten Parker Through Trusses remaining in Ohio, including one built in 1937 on Marion County Road 141, over the Olentangy River in Richland Township.
Marker is on Water Street (Ohio Route 47) 0.1 miles west of Main Street (Ohio Route 203), on the right when traveling west.
Courtesy hmdb.org
