Rating:
5 votes

Welch Avenue College Creek Bridge

Story County, Iowa

Photos 

Photo taken by Luke in April 2012

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View this photo at 500px.com

BH Photo #229715

Map 

Street View 

Facts 

Overview
Arch bridge over College Creek on Welch Avenue on Iowa State University Campus
Location
Ames, Story County, Iowa
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built 1911
Builder
- Anson Marston of Ames, Iowa (Design)
Design
Closed-spandrel arch
Also called
Friley Hall Bridge
South Gate Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+42.02322, -93.64999   (decimal degrees)
42°01'24" N, 93°38'60" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/446188/4652558 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Ames West
Inventory number
BH 49254 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Ames, Iowa (58)
Anson Marston (1)
Arch (12,880)
Built 1911 (845)
Built during 1910s (10,241)
Closed-spandrel arch (4,347)
Deck arch (12,096)
 Have street view (30,434)
Iowa (6,868)
Iowa State University (21)
Open (41,452)
Owned by college (96)
Story County, Iowa (163)

Update Log 

  • June 9, 2017: Updated by Luke: Added images + historical name
  • February 9, 2016: New photo from Luke
  • November 5, 2014: New photo from Luke
  • April 11, 2012: New photos from Luke Harden
  • August 24, 2011: Updated by Luke Harden: Added build date
  • August 4, 2011: New photo from Luke Harden
  • August 2, 2011: Updated by Luke Harden: updated overview
  • July 31, 2011: New Street View added by Luke Harden
  • July 29, 2011: Added by Luke Harden

Sources 

  • Luke
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Comments 

Welch Avenue College Creek Bridge
Posted February 24, 2017, by Anonymous

If I'm understanding them correctly, neither design proposal seems to be inclined to preserve the bridge: https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_agTcUOpXJPT9Gm1

Welch Avenue College Creek Bridge
Posted January 27, 2017, by Luke

Possibly doomed: https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8kNriXdGceb05z7

Welch Avenue College Creek Bridge
Posted November 15, 2011, by Nathan Holth (form3 [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

Identification of a Melan or Melan-style concrete arch requires either a plaque listing Melan, a study of original bridge plans indicating Melan or Melan-style reinforcing, or severe deterioration that exposes and renders visible the reinforcing (see External Links to Flickr photos: http://www.bridgehunter.com/mn/ramsey/bh48952/ ). That being the case, I can't tell if this bridge might be a Melan arch. 1911 is a fairly early arch bridge, but other reinforcing methods were also established at this time.

Welch Avenue College Creek Bridge
Posted November 15, 2011, by Tony Dillon (spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com)

I'm still an infant when it comes to concrete spans...but I'm kinda thinking it might be a small Melan arch.

...Nathan?