Smolen–Gulf Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Smolen–Gulf Bridge |
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The opening ceremony of the Smolen-Gulf bridge in August 2008
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| Coordinates | 41°51′20″N 80°45′43″W / 41.85556°N 80.76194°W |
| Crosses | Ashtabula River |
| Locale | Ashtabula County, Ohio |
| Official name | Smolen–Gulf Bridge |
| Maintained by | Ashtabula County Engineer |
| ID number | 35-04-64 (WGCB) |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | modified Pratt truss |
| Material | glue-laminated Southern yellow pine |
| Total length | 613 feet (187 m) |
| Width | 51 feet (16 m) (overall) 30 feet (9.1 m) (roadway) |
| Height | 37 feet (11 m) |
| Longest span | 4 x 150 feet (46 m) |
| Load limit | HS 25-44 Ohio Legal |
| Clearance above | 14.5 feet (4.4 m) |
| Clearance below | 93 feet (28 m) |
| History | |
| Designer | John Smolen |
| Construction begin | 2006-08-08 |
| Construction end | 2008-08-26 |
| Opened | 2008-10-07 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 2065 (previous bridge) |
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The Smolen–Gulf Bridge is a special kind of bridge called a covered bridge. It carries State Road (also known as Ashtabula County Road 25) over the Ashtabula River in Ashtabula County, Ohio. This amazing bridge is located where the towns of Plymouth and Ashtabula meet in northern Ohio, United States.
At 613 feet (about 187 meters) long, it holds a big record! It is the longest covered bridge in the United States. Before this bridge was built, the Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge in New Hampshire held that title. The Smolen–Gulf Bridge is also the fourth longest covered bridge in the entire world!
This bridge is one of 17 covered bridges in Ashtabula County that you can drive across. The idea for building a wooden bridge over the Ashtabula River Gulf came about in 1995. It was designed by John Smolen, who was the Ashtabula County Engineer at the time.
Contents
Building the Bridge: A Big Project
Building the Smolen–Gulf Bridge was a huge project! It cost about $7.78 million to build. The bridge has walkways on both sides, so people can walk across safely.
How the Bridge Was Built
The bridge is made of four large sections, each about 152 feet long. These sections rest on strong concrete supports called abutments and three concrete piers. The bridge rises more than 93 feet over the river, which is taller than a 9-story building! It's strong enough to carry two lanes of regular traffic.
Materials Used
The main parts of the bridge are made from thick pieces of wood, about 3 feet thick. This wood is either Douglas fir or yellow pine. The sides of the bridge are covered with wood from hemlock or yellow poplar trees. The companies that built this impressive bridge were Union Industrial Contractors and Koski Construction.
History of the Location
The Smolen–Gulf Bridge is located about 1.6 miles (2.6 kilometers) east-southeast of the city of Ashtabula, Ohio. It stands in the exact same spot where an older bridge used to be.
Previous Bridges
Before the Smolen–Gulf Bridge, there was a steel bridge built in 1949. That steel bridge had replaced an even older one called the Crooked Gulf covered bridge, which was built way back in 1867. So, this spot has a long history of bridges!
Opening and Dedication
The Smolen–Gulf Bridge was officially dedicated on the afternoon of August 26, 2008. This is when its name was announced to everyone. The county already had a State Road Covered Bridge over a different creek, so they chose a unique name for this new bridge.
After the dedication, connections to the existing State Road were finished. The bridge was then opened for cars to drive across on the evening of October 7, 2008.
New Additions to the Site
In 2010, a special visitors' pavilion was added near the bridge. This gives people a place to learn more about the bridge and the area. Later, in 2016, a smaller bridge called the Riverview Covered Pedestrian Bridge was opened. This pedestrian bridge is located just below the Smolen–Gulf Bridge.
Gallery
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Sign
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Interior view
