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Upper Gorge Bridge

Summit County, Ohio

Photos 

Postcard

Circa 1907

Enlarge

BH Photo #408940

Map 

Description 

There were two bridges that joined Akron and Cuyahoga Falls over the gorge that surrounded the Cuyahoga River. The lower bridge was built by John F. Seiberling's Akron Traction Company in 1895. In 1903, the upper bridge was build for the Akron, Bedford & Cleveland (AB&C) Railroad.

This double-track streetcar upper bridge was located near the road that is now Front Street, north of Cuyahoga Falls Avenue. It was once called the High Bridge, as were several other local bridges. It later became known as the Gorge Bridge or the Northern Ohio Traction and Light Company (NOT&LC) Bridge. After interurbans (electric self-propelled railcars) stopped running in 1932, it was taken over by the county and converted for general traffic.

New bridge opened in 1981 carrying 2-way traffic at the location of the Lower Gorge Bridge. Footings for this bridge remain.

Facts 

Overview
Lost Deck truss bridge over Cuyahoga River on Old Northbound State Road 59
Location
Summit County, Ohio
Status
Replaced by a new bridge
History
Built 1903; Converted to road use 1936; Closed 1979 and later removed.
Railroads
- Akron, Bedford & Cleveland Railroad (ABC)
- Interurban
- Northern Ohio Traction & Light Co. (NOT&L)
Design
One pin-connected Pratt deck truss span
Two pin-connected Warren deck truss spans
Timber stringer approach (later replaced by Deck plate girder)
Also called
NOT&L - Cuyahoga River Bridge
NOT&L - Gorge Bridge
NOT&L - Cuyahoga Falls Bridge
Gorge Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+41.11845, -81.49296   (decimal degrees)
41°07'06" N, 81°29'35" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
17/458615/4552023 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Akron East
Inventory number
BH 60148 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Akron, Bedford & Cleveland Railroad (2)
Beam (16,984)
Built 1903 (626)
Built during 1900s (7,688)
Cuyahoga River (71)
Deck truss (1,949)
Interurban (1,015)
Lost (29,278)
Lost 1981 (110)
Lost during 1980s (1,550)
 Northern Ohio Traction & Light Co. (3)
Ohio (4,341)
Pratt deck truss (412)
Pratt truss (10,427)
Rail-to-road (360)
Railroad (16,555)
Replaced by new bridge (19,889)
Summit County, Ohio (38)
Timber stringer (4,359)
Truss (36,113)

Update Log 

  • June 22, 2021: Updated by Luke: Added railroads
  • November 23, 2020: Updated by Tony Dillon: Added stuff
  • November 1, 2017: New photos from Jacob P. Bernard
  • March 7, 2014: Updated by Luke Harden: Added categories "Northern Ohio Traction & Light Co.", "Railroad"
  • March 7, 2014: Added by Frank Hicks

Sources 

Comments 

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