Muskingum County was nearly sued by the Federal Government because this bridge was too low to allow canal boat traffic to pass beneath it.
According to reports from the Corps of Engineers from the late 1800's, after the original canal was abandoned and the lock placed at the present location, boat traffic no longer had the clearance of the moveable canal bridge in the picture above and many larger boats were unable to clear the new passage underneath the main bridge.
I am fairly certain the piers from this bridge have been used in every rebuild of the bridge, including the one which still (barely) stands today.
Muskingum County was nearly sued by the Federal Government because this bridge was too low to allow canal boat traffic to pass beneath it.
According to reports from the Corps of Engineers from the late 1800's, after the original canal was abandoned and the lock placed at the present location, boat traffic no longer had the clearance of the moveable canal bridge in the picture above and many larger boats were unable to clear the new passage underneath the main bridge.
I am fairly certain the piers from this bridge have been used in every rebuild of the bridge, including the one which still (barely) stands today.