The Main Street Bridge

The Main Street Bridge. . , The first Main Street Bridge was a seven-span, reinforced concrete, open spandrel arched bridge with an overall length of 638 feet. It was constructed between 1935 and 1937 at a cost of approximately $500,000. The bridge was partially funded through the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA was established in 1933 during the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt to create jobs and improve the economy during the Great Depression., Although it was built during difficult economic times, extra attention to artistic detail and aesthetics was common for designers and builders of the era. The Bridge used elements of the Art Deco style, including pyramidal patterns set in the concrete of the deck edges and aluminum railing panels that were pierced by chevron- and diamond-shaped openings. It also featured elements of the Art Moderne style, which favored simplicity and clean rounded edges. The Main Street Bridge was an integral part of the Columbus Civic Center Historic District that includes the Federal Courthouse, the Police Station, City Hall, the Ohio Departments Building (now the Judicial Center), and several city parks., Building bridges with reinforced concrete arches became a popular choice for long spans after the flood of 1913. The early reinforced concrete arch bridges that survived its devastation throughout the southern part of Ohio demonstrated the strength of the technology. Reinforced concrete construction also required less material, making the structures more economical to build. Utilizing the latest technology of the time, the approaches to the Main Street Bridge featured the Tri-Pedal Unit System, an experimental non-skit, cast iron tile on its roadway surface. The lights on the bridge were designed with a dome that reflected and distributed light evenly and without glare., The Ohio Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration-Ohio Division, and the Ohio Historic Preservation Office declared the Main Street Bridge eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. Due to heavy deterioration, it was replaced in 2010 in order to maintain a safe and efficient river crossing.