Lane Avenue
Bridge Story
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Lane Avenue Bridge
The
cable-stayed suspension bridge carrying Lane Avenue over the Olentangy
River, on the campus of The Ohio State University (OSU), was opened five months
ahead of schedule with a festive ribbon cutting ceremony on November 14, 2003.
It is a true celebration of modern engineering, technology and the more than 300
men and women who contributed their expertise and talents to the building of
this landmark structure.
Under
the jurisdiction of Franklin County Engineer Dean C. Ringle, ground was broken
for the bridge on February 27, 2002. Preliminary work involving site preparation
and temporary pedestrian bridge construction began immediately. Through the
spring and summer months the abutments and pier for the south half of the bridge
were built and a water line was relocated.
Closure
of the old Lane Avenue Bridge occurred on November 25, 2002 following the OSU
football team’s final home game of the season. Demolition crews proceeded to
clear the site for an intensive year of construction that included the building
of the new bridge and reconstruction of the Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road
intersection.
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Lane Avenue Bridge
Towers
The
$15.6 million project was built by the C.J. Mahan Construction Co. of Grove
City, with construction management provided by the Franklin County Engineer’s
Office. Major sub-contractors included Shelly & Sands, Inc. of Columbus;
Delta Erecting, Inc. of Harrison; C.J. Bridge Co. of Grove City; Jess Howard
Electric Co. of Columbus; Bale Contracting, Inc. of Columbus; and the Paul
Peterson Co. of Columbus.
Jones-Stuckey
Ltd, Inc. of Columbus prepared the plans for the bridge, which included nearly
200 pages of construction drawings. The
unique design was selected by a civic committee to artistically reflect the
social and economic vibrancy of the Lane Avenue corridor and to have the least
environmental impact on the river. Participants included representatives from
the County Engineer’s Office, OSU, the City of Columbus and neighborhood
organizations. This is the second cable-stayed suspension bridge entirely built
in Ohio and Franklin County, and it reflects the latest technologies in bridge
construction.
The
double-span, steel and concrete structure is 370 feet long, 112 feet wide, and
carries six 12-foot wide vehicular lanes and two 12-foot wide sidewalks. The
pier towers
stand 145 feet above the river and hold ten multi-strand cables on each
side of the bridge to support the deck. More than 36 miles of post-tensioned
cable strands are embedded within the concrete to strengthen the deck and edge
girders.
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Cable anchorage
assembly installation
On May 21-22,
2003, a 550-ton capacity crane was used to install a 52-ton (104,000 pound)
cable anchorage assembly atop each of the concrete pier towers.
The Engineering News Record cited the anchorage assemblies as the
heaviest single pieces of steel ever to be galvanized, and lifting them into
place at such a height and angle was a major hurdle in building the bridge.
The busy intersection of Lane Avenue and
Olentangy River Road was rebuilt in accordance with plans designed by ms
consultants of Columbus. This work involved the construction of newly aligned
asphalt roadways featuring turn-lanes, storm sewers, curbing and sidewalks; and
the installation of new traffic signals, signage and street lighting.
Funding for the
project was provided by the Ohio Public Works Commission ($5 million), Federal
Highway Administration ($5 million), Franklin County Engineer’s Office ($3.2
million from license plate fees), and City of Columbus ($2.4 million).
The first Lane
Avenue Bridge, built around 1905, was an overhead iron truss structure. It
survived the great flood of 1913, but was determined to be inadequate for future
flood conditions.
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Lane Avenue Bridge
opened in 1919
The second
bridge was a four-span, earth-filled concrete arch structure opened in 1919. The
designer was noted bridge engineer Wilbur J. Watson of Cleveland, who previously
designed the King Avenue Bridge (opened 1914) and the Third Avenue Bridge
(opened 1917).
In 1998, a condition study of the old Lane
Avenue Bridge by the County Engineer’s Office concluded that advanced
deterioration of the arches, sidewalks and railings combined with the need to
have a wider deck to meet growing traffic and pedestrian demands would require
the bridge to be replaced.
Our Lane Avenue
Bridge was designed and built in the spirit of the county engineer’s historic
tradition of providing the finest transportation system for the citizens of
Franklin County, Ohio. May all those who pass this way feel the grandeur of
modern engineering and technology.
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