Market Street Bridge (Steubenville)
| Market Street Bridge | |
|---|---|
MSB at night
|
|
| Coordinates | 40°21′28″N 80°36′29″W / 40.35778°N 80.60806°WCoordinates: 40°21′28″N 80°36′29″W / 40.35778°N 80.60806°W |
| Crosses | Ohio River |
| Preceded by | Steubenville Railroad Bridge |
| Followed by | Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Railroad Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Suspension bridge |
| Material | Steel |
| Total length | 1,794 feet (547 m) |
| Width | 20.7 feet (6.3 m) |
| Longest span | 680 feet (210 m) |
| No. of spans | 3 |
| History | |
| Designer | E. K. Morse |
| Constructed by | Ohio Steel Erection Company |
| Fabrication by | Jones and Laughlin Steel Company, Bethlehem Steel |
The Market Street Bridge is a suspension bridge connecting Market Street in Steubenville, Ohio and West Virginia Route 2 in Follansbee, West Virginia over the Ohio River. As a project of the Steubenville Bridge Company, it was constructed in 1905 by the Ohio Steel Erection Company, the framework was created by the Penn Bridge Company, and the original steel was done by Jones and Laughlin Steel Company and Bethlehem Steel. The bridge spans a length of 1,794 feet (547 m) with a width of 20.7 feet (6.3 m). As of 2002, the average daily traffic was estimated around 15,000 vehicles.
The bridge was designed by E.K. Morse, who worked for numerous Pittsburgh steel companies and organized the Pittsburgh Flood Commission. Morse designed many bridges located over rivers including the Allegheny, Monongahela, Niagara, and Kentucky. He also worked with the Roeblings on the design of the famous Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. Morse is also known on an international level as the designer of the Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge in Australia constructed in 1887. Morse died in 1942.
The Market Street Bridge, which was at one time known as the Steubenville Bridge, was the result of a project of the Steubenville Bridge Company. This company is believed to have been created with the sole purpose of creating the Market Street Bridge. It is rumored that Steubenville businessman Dohrman Sinclair had an agreement with the Follansbee Brothers of West Virginia that if the Market Street Bridge was erected, than the Brothers would create a steel mill on the farm lands of the West Virginia side located less than 1 mile (1.6 km) from the construction site of the bridge. This mill would become known as Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel Coke Works, which is now known as Mountain State Carbon. The mill would benefit from the construction of the bridge, as workers would easily commute to work utilizing the bridge. The Mill has also played an important role in the local economy. Upon its opening to foot traffic on July 2, 1905, the Market Street Bridge was sufficient and successful. Two weeks later, the Bridge opened to vehicular traffic as it awaited for repairs to the connecting road on the West Virginia side.
...
Wikipedia