Y-Bridge (Zanesville, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Y Bridge
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The Zanesville Y-Bridge, seen from a high bluff south of the river confluence.
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location |  US 40; at foot of Main Street and Linden Avenue, over the Licking and Muskingum rivers, Zanesville, Ohio |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1902 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001516 |
| Added to NRHP | November 2, 1973 |
The Zanesville Y-Bridge is a super cool bridge in Zanesville, Ohio. It's shaped like the letter "Y"! This special bridge crosses two rivers, the Licking River and the Muskingum River. It helps cars and trucks on U.S. Route 40 get around downtown Zanesville. It's a famous landmark because of its unique shape.
Contents
History of the Y-Bridge
The Y-Bridge has a long and interesting history. It's actually been rebuilt many times! The rivers it crosses, the Licking and Muskingum, used to flood a lot. These floods often damaged or washed away the bridges.
The First Bridges
The very first Y-Bridge was built in 1814. It was a simple wooden bridge called a trestle bridge. This bridge only lasted for four years.
A second wooden bridge was built in 1819. More roads were made in the area, so more cars and wagons used the bridge. A big flood in the winter of 1831–1832 made this second bridge unsafe.
Building a Covered Bridge
The third Y-Bridge was finished in 1832. This one was a wooden covered bridge, which means it had a roof and sides. It stood for a long time, until the year 1900.
The Fourth Y-Bridge
The next bridge opened in early 1902. It was made with concrete railings. However, a huge event called the 1913 flood washed away these railings. They were replaced with metal pipe railings.
This fourth bridge was used for many years. But by 1979, it was thought to be unsafe. When they took it down, they found that only one part really needed to be replaced. The other parts just needed small repairs.
The Current Y-Bridge
The bridge you see today is the fifth one built in the same spot. It's made of strong concrete and steel. This newest Y-Bridge opened in 1984.
People were happy to have a new bridge for traffic. But some people thought its solid railings made it feel like a tunnel. They also said it was hard to see the beautiful river views from the bridge.
The Zanesville Y-Bridge is a very important landmark. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was added to this list in 1973, even before the fourth bridge was replaced by the current one.
