Main Street Bridge: A Columbus Landmark
The City of Columbus chose DLZ to conduct conceptual, preliminary, and final design of a replacement for the existing Main Street Bridge over the Scioto River in Downtown Columbus. The City wanted a distinctive bridge, so the 660-foot bridge features a single rib arch designed with a unique 10 degree incline. It is the world’s first inclined arch bridge tied with cables and struts. Also, it incorporates separate pedestrian and vehicular decks.
Columbus prides itself on an elegant and integrated infrastructure. With neighboring arch bridges and an art deco heritage of arches throughout the city, leaders considered clean, classical lines an important design element of the new Main Street Bridge. It needed to embody the architectural character of the Civic Center Historic District. Additionally, it needed to provide motorists and pedestrians with an unobstructed view of the water and skyline.
We met these needs by placing our client first. Everything in the bridge design is asymmetrical, with the road deck designed using cantilevered floor beams that support the pedestrian walkway.
The replacement Main Street Bridge includes:
- 3 vehicle lanes (2 eastbound and 1 westbound)
- a 5-ft sidewalk on the south side
- a steel box girder roadway
- piers that complement the superstructure design
- a concrete pedestrian deck on the north side that sweeps horizontally and vertically away from the roadway to provide an unobstructed view of the City’s downtown
Our team worked diligently to ensure the effectiveness, safety, and elegance of the Main Street Bridge. We wanted to make sure our design embodied the architectural character so unique to Columbus, OH. Therefore, our team worked closely with city leaders, and as a result, we were able to overcome the challenges and produce the desired outcomes. We are proud to say Main Street Bridge received numerous awards upon its opening. Among those awards, our DLZ team received the Grand Prize from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Ohio. Additionally, check out our Awards page for a comprehensive list of DLZ achievements.
We would love to work with you. Likewise, if you have any questions about how we do the work we do, check out our Services page. Furthermore, feel free to contact us.
