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Sights and Sounds of the Flats
The Cleveland Flats provides an endless array of sights,
sounds and activites, both natural and manmade.
Cleveland's historic river front, commonly called the
Flats, is the site of the city's hottest center of dining,
entertainment and recreation. Once the hub of Cleveland's
manufacturing, the Flats is now being revived into exciting
restaurants, stores, parks and condominiums that retain
the special character of the area.
The bridges in the Flats are one of the
region's most fascinating features. The unusual variety
makes these structures not only functional, but unique works
of art.
From the mouth of the Cuyahoga River to
its end, there are 84 bridges, 20 of which cross navigable
waters. Nine distinct types of bridges traverse the Cuyahoga.
including movable bridges which are either raised or swung
to one side or another, allowing over-traffic to pass.
A majority of these bridges were
built by the railroads in the late 19th century as they
fed industry and brought prosperity to Cleveland. That prosperity
is being reborn today with the revitalization of the Flats
as an entertainment district. Much of the success enjoyed
today can be attributed to the interesting mix of the industrial
flavor amidst new growth. When visiting the Flats, be sure
to explore one of Cleveland's most distinctive assets -
The Flats' bridges.
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Conrail
or "Iron Curtain Bridge"
Built
in 1947, this bridge spans the mouth of the
Cuyahoga River. It is raised with cables and
counterweights to a height of 98 feet. and is
265 ft. long. The bridge often remains down
for extended periods of time to guard against
train accidents.
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Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Bridge
This
jackknife bridge was built in 1907. It is the
longest single track Schemer bridge ever built.
The bridge opens on a hinged counterweight that
keeps the bridge in constant balance.
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Center Street Bridge
Built
in 1901, this is the last remaining swing bridge
on the Cuyahoga. The bridge rotates on a pier
in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions
on the site of a wooden drawbridge. It was the
first bridge built after the "bridge war",
in 1853. The "bridge war" controversy
concerned Cleveland businessmen diverting commercial
traffic from the Westside Market over the bridge
and away from the floating bridge at Main Avenue.
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Eagle
Avenue Bridge and Viaduct
Built in 1931, the Eagle
ramp bridge is the oldest Cleveland dirt bridge,
spanning 225 feet. It is adjacent to the Cleveland
fire boat dock and boathouse.
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Main Avenue High-Level
Bridge/
The Harold Burton Memorial Shoreway Bridge
This
brass cantilever bridge was built in 1939 on
the site of Cleveland's first bridge structure
of floating timber that was constructed in 1822.
The bridge is 8,000 ft. in length, including
its ramps, and is connected by a golden rivet
at he center. Permanent lighting along the arches
was added in 1987.
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Columbus
Road Bridge
This sloping lift bridge is 220 feet in length
and was built in 1940 on the site of the only
covered bridge in Cleveland's history, which
was also the object of the "Bridge War"
between Ohio City and Cleveland.
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Detroit
Superior
High- Level Bridge.
Built in 1918, this bridge was the first
non- movable bridge constructed on the Cuyahoga.
The structure spans 3112 feet on two levels,
the lower having two sets of street car tracks.
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Hope Memorial
and Carnegie
High- Level Bridge
Built in 1932, this bridge
features pylon figures sculpted by Henry Hering
that symbolized the development of road transportation.
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For further
information on bridges in the Flats, we suggest Cleveland's
Flats on Tour by Schattinger and Lawrence, available
in area book stores, or Bridges Of Metropolitan Cleveland
available at Cleveland State University.
Sketches provided by the Cleveland Children's Museum,
Inc. and Carol Breckenridge McMenamin.
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