Interstate 90 Grand River bridges
Encyclopedia
The Interstate 90 Grand River bridges are two steel girder bridges
in Lake County, Ohio
, on the Leroy Township
/Perry Township
boundary southwest of Madison
, carrying Interstate 90
over the Grand River
.
s at the same location. Built in 1960, they were 869 feet (264.9 m) in length and 150 feet (45.7 m) in height.
On May 24, 1996, a gusset plate
failed on the eastbound span, similar to the later failure on the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota
in 2007, prompting the Ohio Department of Transportation
to close the bridge later that day and divert traffic; the cause originally was attributed to an overloaded semi-trailer truck
. The detour followed the State Route 44 and State Route 2 freeways, U.S. Route 20
, and State Route 528
, the latter which traverses downtown Madison. With the roads near the east end of the detour not equipped to carry the increased traffic, police officers from the village of Madison were dispatched to three intersections for traffic control. The detour lasted until the following month, when highway crossovers on each side of the damaged bridge permitted eastbound traffic to use the westbound span with westbound traffic. The eastbound span was repaired throughout the rest of the year and reopened on November 4.
In a project authorized in 2002 and lasting from March 2007 to July 2010, the old bridges were demolished. The eastbound span was demolished starting September 28, 2008, allowing the new westbound span to be built in its place, and the old westbound span was demolished beginning in late 2009 and finishing the morning of February 14, 2010.
Girder bridge
A girder bridge, in general, is a bridge built of girders placed on bridge abutments and foundation piers. In turn, a bridge deck is built on top of the girders in order to carry traffic. There are several different subtypes of girder bridges:...
in Lake County, Ohio
Lake County, Ohio
Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 230,041. The county seat is Painesville, and the county name comes from its location on the southern shore of Lake Erie....
, on the Leroy Township
LeRoy Township, Lake County, Ohio
LeRoy Township is one of the five townships of Lake County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 3,122 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the eastern part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Perry Township - north...
/Perry Township
Perry Township, Lake County, Ohio
Perry Township is one of the five townships of Lake County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 8,240 people in the township, 6,220 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
boundary southwest of Madison
Madison, Ohio
Madison is a village in Lake County, Ohio, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,921.-Geography:Madison is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
, carrying Interstate 90
Interstate 90 in Ohio
In the U.S. state of Ohio, Interstate 90 runs east–west across the northern tier. Much of it is along the Ohio Turnpike, but sections outside the turnpike pass through Cleveland and northeast into Pennsylvania.-Route description:...
over the Grand River
Grand River (Ohio)
The Grand River is a tributary of Lake Erie, 102.7 miles long, in northeastern Ohio in the United States. Via Lake Erie, the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, it is part of the watershed of the St. Lawrence River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean...
.
Former bridges
The I-90 bridges replace two cantilever truss bridgeCantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...
s at the same location. Built in 1960, they were 869 feet (264.9 m) in length and 150 feet (45.7 m) in height.
On May 24, 1996, a gusset plate
Gusset plate
Gusset plates are thick sheets of steel that are used to connect beams and girders to columns or to connect truss members . A gusset plate can be fastened to a permanent member either by bolts, rivets or welding or a combination of the three . Gusset plates not only serve as a method of joining...
failed on the eastbound span, similar to the later failure on the I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
in 2007, prompting the Ohio Department of Transportation
Ohio Department of Transportation
The Ohio Department of Transportation is the organization of state government responsible for developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in the state of Ohio with exception of the Ohio Turnpike. In addition to highways, the department also helps develop public transportation and...
to close the bridge later that day and divert traffic; the cause originally was attributed to an overloaded semi-trailer truck
Semi-trailer truck
A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or articulated truck or articulated lorry, is an articulated vehicle consisting of a towing engine , and a semi-trailer A semi-trailer truck, also known as a semi, tractor-trailer, or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) articulated truck...
. The detour followed the State Route 44 and State Route 2 freeways, U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
, and State Route 528
Ohio State Route 528
State Route 528 is north–south state highway in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. Its southern terminus, also the southern terminus of State Route 168, is on State Route 88 at U.S. Route 422 in the village of Parkman, about 6½ miles south of Middlefield, and its northern...
, the latter which traverses downtown Madison. With the roads near the east end of the detour not equipped to carry the increased traffic, police officers from the village of Madison were dispatched to three intersections for traffic control. The detour lasted until the following month, when highway crossovers on each side of the damaged bridge permitted eastbound traffic to use the westbound span with westbound traffic. The eastbound span was repaired throughout the rest of the year and reopened on November 4.
In a project authorized in 2002 and lasting from March 2007 to July 2010, the old bridges were demolished. The eastbound span was demolished starting September 28, 2008, allowing the new westbound span to be built in its place, and the old westbound span was demolished beginning in late 2009 and finishing the morning of February 14, 2010.
External links
- I-90 Twin Bridge Replacement. Ohio Department of Transportation District 12. Retrieved on 2010-02-14.