Maryland Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Maryland Bridge is a crossing over the Assiniboine River
in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
. Serving as a major transportation link for metropolitan Winnipeg along Highway 70, three bridges have born the same name. Nearby landmarks include Misericordia Health Centre
, Cornish Library
and Shaare Zedek Synagogue
.
The first bridge, of steel truss, was constructed in 1894. It was nicknamed the Boundary Bridge, because Maryland Street once served as Winnipeg's western boundary.
Second bridge
After a Census of Traffic was conducted on the original bridge because of increased traffic and safety concerns, construction began on the second Maryland Bridge in 1920, and was completed in 1921. It was a concrete arch structure that included a colored aggregate of red granite, crushed to pass through a 0.75 inch screen, exposed by scrubbing with steel brushes, and cleaned by several washings of muriatic acid and water.
Winnipeg's only major bridge
disaster occurred in 1937 when the 330-ton bridge counter weight fell on the deck of the second bridge. A corner post shaped as a cairn
has been preserved from the second Maryland Bridge and is displayed by the current bridge. The bridge was closed for demolition upon the opening of the Twin Bridge's western span.
Current bridge
The current bridge, sometimes referred to as the Maryland Twin Bridge, consists of I-shaped AASHTO
girder
s; and twin, five-span continuous precast prestressed concrete structures. It was opened to traffic in two stages: the west structure on 8 November 1969, and the east structure on 5 August 1970. Constructed by the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg, it was financed by the provincial government. Renovations to the northbound span occurred in 2005 while those to the southbound span occurred the following year.
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Serving as a major transportation link for metropolitan Winnipeg along Highway 70, three bridges have born the same name. Nearby landmarks include Misericordia Health Centre
Misericordia Health Centre
Misercordia Health Centre is a hospital that was founded in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada by the Misericordia Sisters in 1898. Today, ownership of the hospital is the responsibility of the Misericordia Corporation within the Archdiocese of Winnipeg...
, Cornish Library
Cornish Library
The Cornish Library , a branch of the Winnipeg Public Library, is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Like the St. John's Library, the Cornish is one of two Carnegie libraries in the city. It is a Grade II listed building, a Winnipeg Landmark Heritage Structure, gazetted in January 15, 1993...
and Shaare Zedek Synagogue
Shaare Zedek Synagogue, Winnipeg
Shaarey Zedek Synagogue is the oldest synagogue in Winnipeg, Canada. Formed in 1880, the congregation's first building was constructed by Philip Brown and several others in 1890. Charles Henry Wheeler designed the original Synagogue on King Street...
.
Architecture
Original bridgeThe first bridge, of steel truss, was constructed in 1894. It was nicknamed the Boundary Bridge, because Maryland Street once served as Winnipeg's western boundary.
Second bridge
After a Census of Traffic was conducted on the original bridge because of increased traffic and safety concerns, construction began on the second Maryland Bridge in 1920, and was completed in 1921. It was a concrete arch structure that included a colored aggregate of red granite, crushed to pass through a 0.75 inch screen, exposed by scrubbing with steel brushes, and cleaned by several washings of muriatic acid and water.
Winnipeg's only major bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
disaster occurred in 1937 when the 330-ton bridge counter weight fell on the deck of the second bridge. A corner post shaped as a cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
has been preserved from the second Maryland Bridge and is displayed by the current bridge. The bridge was closed for demolition upon the opening of the Twin Bridge's western span.
Current bridge
The current bridge, sometimes referred to as the Maryland Twin Bridge, consists of I-shaped AASHTO
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
AASHTO, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols and guidelines which are used in highway design and construction throughout the United States...
girder
Girder
A girder is a support beam used in construction. Girders often have an I-beam cross section for strength, but may also have a box shape, Z shape or other forms. Girder is the term used to denote the main horizontal support of a structure which supports smaller beams...
s; and twin, five-span continuous precast prestressed concrete structures. It was opened to traffic in two stages: the west structure on 8 November 1969, and the east structure on 5 August 1970. Constructed by the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg, it was financed by the provincial government. Renovations to the northbound span occurred in 2005 while those to the southbound span occurred the following year.