A significant connector in Cleveland’s Flats district, the Center Street Swing Bridge, is the subject of tonight’s Virtual Public Construction Meeting where rehabilitation plans will be announced. The $8.6M refurbishment will close the historic bridge spanning the Cuyahoga River to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for the duration of the project, and is slated to begin in late July 2021 and wrap in July 2022. (Editor’s notes: 1) refurbishment of the bridge was delayed - it is set to close on Monday, January 3, 2022), 2) per a 12.1.22 notice, the bridge will be closed through summer 2023.

The virtual meeting is Thursday, April 22, 2021 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Zoom link is here, meeting ID is 853 3462 0636, passcode is 100484. (see public meeting flier).

The bridge closure comes at a tricky time for users of Greater Cleveland’s expanding network of off-road trails:

The Towpath Trail has reached its northernmost terminus at Canal Basin Park.
The Cleveland Foundation Centennial Trail, Canal Basin Park Connector and Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway Connector are in place.
The Red Line Greenway will open in late spring.
The Whiskey Island Connector and Wendy Park Bridge will come on-line in early summer.

Once the bridge rehabilitation begins in May, access to the West and East Bank of the Flats from a variety of access points will be severed. One detour route will be via Columbus Rd., Franklin Blvd., W. 25th St., Main Ave., and Washington Ave. Assuming Cleveland Metroparks’ eLCee2 water taxi resumes service around Memorial Day, pedestrians and bikes will also be able to access the the east and west bank from the Cleveland Metroparks docks located next to 1) Lindey’s Lake House (map) and 2) Great Lakes Watersports (map) and Music Box Supper Club.

Built in 1901 by the Cleveland-based King Bridge Company, the 345 foot-long Center Street Swing Bridge is the only working example of a bobtail swing bridge in Ohio. Located underneath the Veteran’s Memorial (Detroit-Superior) Bridge (also built by King Bridge in 1918), the bobtail design allows the bridge to pivot on a land-based pier, keeping the narrow river free from obstruction. Historic images and drawings of the bridge can be viewed at the Library of Congress website.

Last rehabilitated in 1996, the bridge will receive the following upgrades that are estimated to take fourteen months to complete:

Painting of the entire structure, including the swing truss and east approach, to match the historic red color of the original bridge.
Replacement of the roadway stringers in the river span to address deterioration of the existing stringers.
Relocation of the operator’s house stairs to provide 5-foot wide sidewalk on each side of bridge.
Replacement of the concrete filled grid steel sidewalk with fiberglass open grid deck.
Replacement of the roadway grid steel deck (both open grid and concrete filled) on the swing truss spans.
Installation of sidewalk lighting on the swing truss.

One thing we’ll miss while the Center Street Swing Bridge is being renovated is the chance to catch moments like we did three years ago when a drunken Steelers fan decided to take a closer look at the bridge while the Dorothy Ann/Pathfinder came through. The Browns lost that day but the bridge kinda got even with the fan.

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