The Lane Avenue Bridges
A Brief History
• In the late 1800's a steel truss was constructed across the Olentangy River at Lane Avenue. Its primary function was to gain access across the Olentangy River from the main campus of The Ohio State University to the agricultural land on the west side.
• Although the great flood of 1913 destroyed or damaged numerous bridges, businesses, and houses along the Olentangy and Scioto Rivers, the old steel truss at the Lane Avenue crossing survived. After the King Avenue Bridge was completed in 1914, plans for the replacement of the Lane Avenue Bridge began.
• In 1917 a three-lane arch bridge was designed by Wilbur J. Watson. It consisted of four 97-foot reinforced concrete arch spans, with earth fill and closed spandrel walls. It also featured exposed aggregate concrete railings and commemorative plaques.
• Construction was completed in 1919 by the E. Elford Construction Company, who was also responsible for building the old King Avenue Bridge and the McCracken Power Building on The Ohio State University Campus.
• The arch bridge was demolished in November 2002 during construction of the new suspension bridge.
Lane Avenue Bridge
Levi E. Douglass •
Thos. E. Humphreys • Chas. W. Miller •
Richard Sinclair • Walter Mulby
County Commissioners
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H. Sage Valentine County Auditor
John Peake County Engineer
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Wilbur J. Watson W. P. Brown
Consulting Engineers - Cleveland
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C. C. Hurlbut Resident Engineer
E. Elford Construction
1919
The Lane Avenue Bridge
Opened November 14, 2003
The Lane Avenue Bridge over the Olentangy River is the second cable-stayed suspension bridge constructed in Franklin County. The structure is 370 feet long, the twin support towers rise 165 feet above the water and the deck is 112 feet wide. The primary structural material consists of 10,000 cubic yards of reinforced concrete. Additional structural members include twin 52-ton steel cable anchors encased in the top of the towers and 500 tons of structural steel in the deck support system. The 8½ miles of cables suspending the bridge deck consist of multiple 270,000 psi high-strength steel strand bundles, with a high-density polyethylene sheathing. This bridge stands as a model of engineering excellence and good civic design for he benefit of our community.
Franklin County Engineer:
Dean C. Ringle P.E., P.S.
Chief Deputy Engineer:
Mark D. Sherman, P.E.
Franklin County Construction Team;
Bridge Engineer: James Pajk P.E.
Construction Engineer: Ralph Crabb P.E.
Project Engineers; Cornell Robertson P.E., Scott Roe P.E.
Construction Inspectors: Rick Cardi, Gary St. Clair
Franklin County Commissioners:
Dewey R. Stokes Arlene Shoemaker Mary Jo Kilroy
Design Consultant:
Jones-Stuckey Ltd., Inc.
Columbus, Ohio
Bridge Builder:
C.J. Mahan Construction Company
Grove City, Ohio
Marker is at the intersection of Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road, on the right when traveling west on Lane Avenue.
Courtesy hmdb.org
